The JALLC’s Commander, Commodore Fernando Artilheiro, welcomed participants marking the Alliance’s 75th Anniversary and highlighting the importance of the theme of the conference: The NATO Lessons Learned (LL) Capability in support of NATO 2030.
The conference was then opened by Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, General Christian Badia, via hologram. The General who highlighted the importance of Lessons, especially in the context of Russia War against Ukraine. The opening remarks were followed by updates on Lessons Learned and on NATO’s 2030 efforts as well as a moment for Australia to shine in the NLLC24 spotlight. As a long-standing partner of the Alliance, Lieutenant Colonel Kohn Edwards—of the Joint Lessons Assessment Directorate at HQ Joint Operational Command of the Australian Defence Force—who presented the Australian perspective to Lessons Learned.
This first day of the NLLC24 also offered participants their first taste of the three panels that will address the conference theme. The first Panel on Lessons Learned in the Digital Transformation Age saw Rear Admiral Nick Wheeler, Director of NATO HQ’s Digital Staff, address the audience as a key speaker asking the question: “why transform? Because militaries that do not adapt or transform, lose.” On the same panel, the Portuguese Rear Admiral Antonio Gameiro Marques highlighted the human aspect to the Digital era, noting that people need to be empowered and the importance of committed leadership.
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he second full day of the NATO Lessons Learned (LL) Conference 2024 (NLLC24) was another packed day, with presentations from the two remaining panels as well as live interactions via hologram and a presentation and Q&A session with the Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine via a live video connection from Ukraine.
The second of the NLLC24’s three Panels focused on Enhancing Alliance learning through Lessons Learned sharing and interoperability. This panel, led by the JALLC’s Lessons Learned Management Division head, Colonel Arturo Sabando, took a deep dive into how improving interoperability and lessons sharing can enhance Lessons Learned in NATO. Panel key speaker, Major General James R. Kriesel, Director J7 United States European Command, noted that, “Lessons Learned is NATO’s ability to adapt and be agile in a rapidly changing security environment.” After the presentations, the panel went on to discuss in more detail the barriers to lessons sharing and how interoperability in Lessons Learned will be critical for NATO’s 2030 efforts and beyond.
The third and final panel of the NLLC24 was led by Mr Alan Hoff from HQ Supreme Allied Commander Transformation’s (SACT) Capability Development Directorate, and looked at how the NATO LL Capability can contribute to other NATO capabilities in the context of 2030 related efforts. Key speaker, Major General Norbert Wagner, Commander of the Joint Force Training Centre, noted that having a Lessons Learned process alone, is not enough. You need to have the ability to conduct a holistic assessment from lesson identified through to a lesson learned. The ensuing panel presentations and lively discussion resulted in some food for thought for the audience on lessons implementation.
There were multiple interventions during the day, including the Key Note Address delivered by Mr Tom Goffus, Assistant Secretary General for Operations at NATO HQ, by video. Among other related topics, Mr Goffus spoke about the need to learn lessons from the war against Ukraine now; not waiting until the end of the war to begin learning. Russia is learning now and so must we, he noted.
In addition, there were interesting updates regarding Lessons Learned from Russia’s war against Ukraine, including a live online address from Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Defence, Mr Stanislav Haider, a presentation by Colonel Carlos Sanchez Ledesma from the European Military Staff on their Lessons Learned on Ukraine, and an update from the JALLC on its efforts on the topic. There was also an interesting brief, live via hologram, from Lieutenant Colonel Liz-Anne Strik of HQ SACT’s Strategic Foresight Branch on the Future Operating Environment, a topic which the JALLC recently published a report on.
The Commander then closed the NLLC24 with some remarks, noting that it had been two intensive days, requesting NATO and National leadership to support lessons learned. Finally, participants were addressed by some of NATO’s Military Representatives on the importance of Lessons Learned in a short video.
