For the first time, JCBRN Defence Centre of Excellence (JCBRND COE) conducted, in close cooperation with the USA Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), a pilot course on Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Disablement from 3rd to 7th June 2019.
NATO Education and Training requirements identified the need for a course dedicated to this topic , as defined in the NATO WMD/CBRN Defence Training Needs Analysis (TNA).
The course aim was to provide students with an introduction to NATO WMD Disablement, including current national WMD Disablement (WMDD) policies, strategies, doctrines and approaches to WMDD from a variety of NATO member states, and provide methods to apply information on WMDD into the NATO operations planning process. The classification of this course as such was “NATO Restricted”.
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The Subject Matter Experts from NATO HQ, ACT, SHAPE, USA. DTRA, USA Chemical and Biological Weapons Elimination Department and other NATO Nations provided a deep insight into the current NATO and national WMD Disablement policies, strategies, doctrines. The different NATO Nations’ approaches to WMDD are certainly the core of knowledge.
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The five-day course included theoretical briefings and discussions, which were followed by the syndicate work in the frame of Table-Top Exercises. The practical part of the course, the syndicate work, which makes the course unique. The last day was dedicated to the course evaluation and way ahead. The Subject Matter Experts’ involvement and their professional approach were highly appreciated by all 17 course participants.
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The uniqueness of the course was not only to verify the professional content of the course and its applicability to those responsible for dealing with WMDD but also because it triggered a discussion between course participants and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). Sufficient knowledge on NATO’s policies and doctrines, as well on processes such as on NATO’s defence planning process, as well as on comprehensive operations planning should be a pre-condition to attending that course. The lessons learned might be used not only to process the updated course content but also for the German writing team that is preparing a new Allied Joint Doctrine for WMDD.
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The JCBRN Defence COE is planning on conducting the next iteration in a year time. Military officers (OF-3 through OF-5) and NCOs (OR-7 through OR-9) or civilian equivalents, who are planners or staff officers dealing with the WMD Disablement issue at NATO Headquarters and National Ministries of Defence or other governmental organizations are more than welcome to send the registration form to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. In 2020 the Introduction to NATO WMD Disablement course shall be certified as NATO approved. You may find more details about this course and its learning objectives at https://www.jcbrncoe.cz/tp/.
Author: LTC Jiří CHRÁSTEK, (CZE-A)
Photos: WO Petr MOHNACS (CZE-A), Mrs Hana JURČOVÁ (Civ)
