51st NATO Conference of Commandants
The 51st NATO Defense College (NDC) Conference of Commandants titled
“Resilience, New Challenges, New Domains” is held from 17th to 19th May in
Hamburg, Germany. It is the key academic event of the Alliance shaping
strategic level education with the focus on NATO and partner nations’
Professional Military Education organizations. This edition of the Conference
is co-organized by NDC and the Führungsakademie der Bundeswehr as the host
organization. Therefore, it is co-chaired by Lieutenant General Olivier
Rittimann (FRA NDC), the Commandant of NDC, and Major General Oliver Kohl (DEU
A), the Commandant of Führungsakademie der Bundeswehr.
The conference was inaugurated by a lecture delivered by Brigadier General
Ilmars A. Lejins, the Assistant Chief of Staff, Joint Force Development, at HQ
SACT. The lecture was titled “Right People, Right Skills (RPRS) as an enabler
of Future Leaders and Warfighters” shaping the overall focus of future
activities. So, it has been followed by a sequence of lectures and syndicate
discussions including a Card Game presented and practiced under the leadership
of the Führungsakademie faculty.
The Baltic Defence College (BALTDEFCOL) was represented by Commandant
Brigadier General Ilmar Tamm (EST A) and Dean Dr Zdzislaw Sliwa who actively
participated in plenary sessions and syndicate discussions. Moreover,
Ambassador Shota Gvineria briefed about cyber resilience during a plenary
session.
The Conference of Commandants is NDC’s annual event to underpin the NDC
mission to contribute to the effectiveness and cohesion of the Alliance by
developing its role as a major center of education, outreach, and research on
transatlantic security issues.
At the conclusion of the conference Brigadier General Tamm invited
participants to the 52nd NATO Conference of Commandants, which will be
conducted in Tallinn, Estonia. The NDC will organize it in cooperation with
BALTDEFCOL. To facilitate this academic event BG Tamm provided a briefing
familiarizing the audience with BALTDEFCOL, and its role in educating officers
and civil servants from NATO, Partnership for Peace, and partner nations at
operational and strategic levels. It was followed by a presentation on the
city of Tallinn the capital city of Estonia.