During Baltic Operations 2023 (BALTOPS23), a coalition of liaison officers representing participating nations gathered at the exercise’s control hub at Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO’s (STRIKFORNATO) headquarters in Oeiras, Portugal, to collaborate in planning a realistic training scenario that effectively tested the flexibility, adaptability, and capabilities of their nations’ combined forces.

Among the cadre of LOs was Lt. Adam Thomas who represented Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Sigonella (NAVSUP FLCSI). Below, Thomas and several of his U.S. Navy and Marine Corps logistics colleagues discuss some of the highlights of their experience supporting the exercise’s logistics requirements. They address, in particular, how logistics interoperability with another NATO nation contributed to achieving the exercise objective of strengthening the combined response capability critical to preserving the freedom of navigation and security in the Baltic Sea.

Why were you the ideal candidate to deploy as LO to STRIKFORNATO?

Thomas: Because I am assigned to NAVSUP FLCSI’s operational site at Naval Station Rota, Spain, I am geographically close to Portugal. Beyond that, I have a willingness to learn how NATO does business and am open to the different ideas that our diverse set of allies bring to the table in order to Get Real Get Better. I also bring exercise experience from having been LO during BALTOPS22.

Describe how you supported the exercise as NAVSUP FLCSI’s LO?

Thomas: As NAVSUP FLCSI’s only LO deployed to support BALTOPS23, I provided organic exercise control support alongside a multinational logistics team with whom I had the opportunity to discuss, plan and develop future logistics evolutions in order to exercise collective logistics. Through participating in the exercise, our command strengthened alliance ties in areas of concept development, exercise planning and execution.

I also helped to augment STRIKFORNATO’s Assistant Chief of Staff J4 as he performed his role as the Multinational Maritime Force’s (MNMF’s) Force Logistics Coordinator (FLC) during the exercise. The FLC was the Force’s senior maritime logistics officer and was responsible to Commander STRIKFORNATO for the pro-active management and movement of logistics, provision of support services, replenishment from organic support vessels and/or external sources and the maintenance of the MNMF at the highest state of logistic readiness.

Where were you deployed to support the exercise other than to STRIKFORNATO HQ?

Thomas: In May, just prior to the beginning of the exercise, I was deployed to the Baltic Island of Bornholm, Denmark and helped to establish a Forward Logistics Site (FLS) alongside our Royal Danish Navy allies. Together, we demonstrated multinational, complementary sustainment and support while concurrently assisting STRIKFORNATO’s evaluation and validation of Bornholm for future FLS deployments.

U.S. Marine Lt. Col. Tony McNair, STRIKFORNATO Deputy J4: The successful establishment of FLS Bornholm enabled the subsequent maritime sustainment and VLS reload, both of which showcased SFN’s ability to identify, integrate and leverage disparate national logistics capabilities, sustain operations and tempo, and keep forces in the fight.

Thomas: Through FLS Bornholm, NAVSUP FCLSI facilitated the receipt and embarkation of mission support materials from USS Paul Ignatius (DDG 117) onto the German sustainment ship Frankfurt Am Main, and assisted with in-exercise replenishment-as-sea (RAS) execution planning between the two nations.

What were some positive takeaways from successfully executing the RAS and the cargo evolution between Paul Ignatius and Frankfurt Am Main?

Lt. Ian Pidduck, USS Paul Ignatius supply officer: The proof-of-concept underway replenishment for cargo with Frankfurt Am Main was an awesome demonstration of our growing logistical integration capability. Continued success with this type of NATO replenishment will be a game changer for theater logistics and ultimately provide the afloat supply officer with more avenues to get more parts on board faster; ultimately increasing readiness and keeping critical weapons systems operational.

Thomas: These efforts expose our NATO allies to a sample of the capabilities of NAVSUP FLCSI and the MNMF Force Logistics Coordinator, furthering the possibility for future collaborative logistics planning and execution opportunities in support of NATO’s mission objectives. These accomplishments come at a critical time for NATO, NAVEUR-NAVAF/SIXTHFLT and STRIKFORNATO as U.S. Navy assets are increasingly assigned to STRIKFORNATO task units, groups and forces supporting Supreme Allied Commander Europe’s directed Vigilance Activities without a proficient means of sustaining Class I and IX via alliance supply chains.

Did other NAVSUP FLCSI teams support BALTOPS23?

Thomas: In addition to this cargo evolution, NAVSUP FLCSI’s transportation and customs clearance teams based at Naval Station Rota, Spain, supported eight units deploying and redeploying more than 325,000 pounds of equipment to three countries. Additionally, these teams completed the required USDAO inspections, cargo weighing and packaging, and booked CONUS based unit’s equipment for military air transport.

Most notably, these teams supported 41,000 pounds of NCHB-1 equipment to include weapons handling equipment, an inert SM-2 missile shape and 12,000-pound all-terrain forklift deploying it to FLS Bornholm. There NCHB-1 successfully completed an expeditionary ordnance reload of the Danish Frigate HDMS Peter Willemoes VLS tubes. This was equally significant for the Royal Danish Navy as they develop their SM-2 missile program and for NCHB-1 as they continue to exercise their capabilities across the globe.

INTERVIEW END

Conducted from June 4-16, 2023, BALTOPS23 was the U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa and U.S. Sixth Fleet (NAVEUR-NAVAF/SIXTHFLT)-led maritime exercise aimed to strengthen the combined response capability critical to preserving the freedom of navigation and security in the Baltic Sea.

STRIKFORNATO, headquartered at Oeiras, Portugal, is a rapidly deployable and scalable headquarters, under the operational command of Supreme Allied Commander Europe. STRIKFORNATO is capable of planning and executing full spectrum joint maritime operations including maritime ballistic missile defense, primarily through integration of U.S. and other nation’s carrier and amphibious forces into NATO operations to provide assurance, deterrence, and collective defense for the Alliance.

Headquartered in Naples, Italy, NAVEUR-NAVAF operates U.S. naval forces in the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) areas of responsibility. SIXTHFLT is permanently assigned to NAVEUR-NAVAF, and employs maritime forces through the full spectrum of joint and naval operations.

NAVSUP FLCSI is one of eight FLCs under Commander, NAVSUP. Headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, NAVSUP employs a diverse, worldwide workforce of more than 25,000 military and civilian personnel. NAVSUP and the Navy Supply Corps conduct and enable supply chain, acquisition, operational logistics and Sailor & family care activities with our mission partners to generate readiness and sustain naval forces worldwide to prevent and decisively win wars.

FLCSI provides a full range of solutions for logistics, business and support services to the U.S. Naval, Joint, NATO and Allied Forces across 14 enduring and forward operating sites; forward contingency and cooperative security locations in 13 countries in Europe and Africa.