On July 7, Major General Flemming Mathiasen, Commander Multinational Division North (MND N), formally announced the Division’s Full Operational Capability (FOC). Held at the MND N Headquarters is Adaži, Latvia, the event saw a great many governmental and military officials. FOC followed the successful completion of the Multinational Corps Northeast-led exercise Griffin Lightning 23, which was a combat readiness evaluation of MND N carried out in March 2023. With FOC, the Division is fully capable of conducting its tasks across the assigned Area of Operations (i.e. Estonia and Latvia) as part of Multinational Corps Northeast (MNC NE) and the NATO Force Structure. The Division’s headquarters role is to coordinate land military activities, including NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence. In addition, it contributes to NATO’s training and defense planning.
In his address Mathiasen stated: “The Headquarters is now fully operational which was a requirement to further develop the Division. The professionalism and work of all those serving here have contributed to the achievement that we celebrate today.”
Headquartered in Adazi, Latvia, the Division’s command comprises personnel from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom, in addition to Denmark, Estonia and Latvia as the Division’s framework nations. It was established in 2019, alongside the already existing Headquarters Multinational Division North East in Elbl?g, Poland, in order to provide MNC NE with more robust command and control functions and greater situational awareness in the north of the Baltic Sea region. During the same event, a bilateral agreement was signed between the Ministry of Defence of Latvia and the Ministry of Defence of Denmark that reaffirms the further development of the Division.
By reaching full combat readiness, Headquarters Multinational Division North has met all relevant requirements to be able to provide full situational awareness about regional security, plan and execute military operations, command units, organise and deliver military exercise and other activities, as well as contributing to attainment of other national and collective defence goals that contribute to enhanced interoperability of participating countries and ability to engage in joint defence tasks defined in the North Atlantic Treaty. Headquarters Multinational Division North was inaugurated in 2019. Located in Camp ?daži, its aim is to boost the defence of Baltic States and strengthen NATO’s common defence and deterrence posture. It is an efficient, military capable unit – headquarters of joint command and control for the Baltic region.
