NATO conducts Annual Crisis Management Exercise (CMX)

03 Mar. 2015 NATO

NATO to exercise decision-making in crisis – CMX15 to focus on maritime security

Ambassadors on the North Atlantic Council (NAC) are preparing to rehearse Alliance and partner consultation and decision making procedures against the backdrop of a fictitious crisis.

The exercise is designed to test the NAC procedures at the strategic political-military level. It involves civilian and military staffs in Allied capitals, at NATO Headquarters and in both Operations and Transformation Strategic Commands. CMX15 involves no deployed forces. The exercise rehearses decision-making processes using an entirely fictitious scenario.

The scenario for CMX15 consists of a crisis developing between two non-NATO states at distance from Alliance territory. It contains a humanitarian and maritime dimension, with implications for the security of the Allies.

As with previous such exercises, CMX15 will have partner participation. Australia, Finland, Japan, Sweden and Ukraine will participate alongside Allies in the exercise. South Korea, New Zealand and Georgia chose to observe the exercise.

The European Union has been invited to exchange information on the evolving situation, along with the United Nations Department of Political Affairs and Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Energy Agency which will also observe the exercise.

Partners will be involved in CMX15 according to Alliance decisions taken in 2011. In 2011, the Alliance renewed the framework that governs relations with partners in operational settings, in order to include partner involvement in planning, exercising and decision-shaping.

CMX15 will take place between 4 and 10 March 2015. This is the Alliance’s 19th Crisis Management Exercise (CMX) since 1992.