Solbiate Olona, July 1, 2024 - Today, at the NRDC-ITA Headquarters, a ceremony was held to mark the new role of the NATO Command in Solbiate Olona as ARF HQ for the next three years.
The event was attended by the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), General Christopher G. Cavoli, and by the Chief of the Italian Army General Staff, Lieutenant General Carmine Masiello.
All the Commanders of NATO units that will now be part of the ARF attended the ceremony, including the 1st UK Division, the ESP JSOC (Joint Special Operations Command), the ESP JFAC (Joint Force Air Component), the CFSpCC (Combined Force Space Component Commander), ITMARFOR (Italian Maritime Forces), and SOFCOM (Allied Special Operations Forces Command).
These units, in a multinational and multi-domain context, will support the Alliance in fulfilling its three main tasks: deterrence and defense, crisis prevention and management, and cooperative security.
During the event, SACEUR expressed his appreciation for the commendable work done by both civilian and military personnel in establishing the ARF Command in such critical historical context, highlighting the high profile of the new role.
The Chief of the Italian Army General Staff highlighted the multinational nature of the Headquarters and underlined the professionalism, spirit of belonging and sacrifice of the whole staff.
As the ARF HQ, NRDC-ITA provides SACEUR with an immediate crisis response capability. To this end, it has carried out a series of activities including exercises, academic studies, and specific training, culminating last May in the Steadfast Deterrence 24 exercise, where it received formal validation. Further exercises will be conducted in Europe at the end of 2024, as well as in 2025 and 2026.
The ARF is a completely new concept, resulting from a political decision made at the NATO summit in Vilnius in 2023, aimed at providing SACEUR with rapidly deployable forces (across all domains) to achieve immediate results and to effectively respond to potential crisis situations in all types of operations. This new role will also strengthen the existing relationships of the NATO Command in Solbiate Olona, allowing it to cooperate with new partners and allies to share skills and experiences, while demonstrating the highest principles of cohesion and legitimacy. The choice of NRDC-ITA reaffirms Italy's commitment to the Alliance and the deterrence and defense of the Euro-Atlantic area. NRDC-ITA is a multinational command headquartered in Solbiate Olona, Varese, with an institutional office in Milan. Italy provides 75% of the personnel: Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers, and enlisted soldiers, while the remaining 25% comes from 19 other nations. Since October 1, 2016, NRDC-ITA has been put directly under the Chief of the Italian Army General Staff.