EUMS Hosts MILEX 26 / RDC LIVEX 26 Information Day Briefing

Opening the event, Major General Horvath welcomed participants and outlined the purpose of the Information Day briefings: to provide regular updates on major EU military training activities, enhance transparency, and foster greater cooperation with partner nations and international organisations in the field of military training.

The programme continued with presentations from the European Union Military Staff (EUMS) and the Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC), the organisations responsible for planning and conducting the exercise. Briefings provided an overview of the exercise, its current state of play, the crisis scenario, and the roadmap leading to the simulated crisis.

Presenters also outlined the different phases of MILEX 26 / RDC LIVEX 26, including the EU crisis response planning process, and reviewed the Alert Exercise (ALERTEX), conducted from 26 February to 13 March. During this phase, the MPCC developed operational plans for the rapid deployment of EU Member States' military forces in response to a fictional crisis, exercising procedures from the political and strategic levels through to the tactical level.

The briefing then focused on the Live Exercise (LIVEX), held in Zaragoza, Spain, from 24 May to 18 June. The EU's fourth LIVEX culminated in a Distinguished Visitors Day (DvDay) on 18 June, featuring a live-fire demonstration of forces responding to the simulated crisis. The participants of the DvDay also received an overview of the capabilities of the Eurocorps Force Headquarters (FHQ) and the Spanish-led EU Battlegroup (EUBG26). Demonstrations showcased a range of military capabilities, including armoured vehicles, helicopters, fighter aircraft, drones, and the personnel operating them.

Overall, approximately 2,500 soldiers from 13 EU Member States participated in LIVEX 26.

The MILEX 26 / RDC LIVEX 26 Information Day concluded with a look ahead to future EU exercises (both MILEX and LIVEX), followed by a question-and-answer session with the participants.

Background

The Strategic Compass for Security and Defence sets out the EU's ambition to become a stronger and more capable security provider, both in its neighbourhood and beyond. The EU Rapid Deployment Capacity (RDC) enables the Union to respond rapidly and effectively to external crises with a force of up to 5,000 personnel, integrating land, air, maritime, space, and cyber capabilities.

As part of this ambition, the EU continues to strengthen the Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC) as the preferred operational command and control structure for the EU RDC.

MILEX 26 / RDC LIVEX 26 trained the MPCC in its role as Operational Headquarters (OHQ), the Eurocorps Force Headquarters (FHQ), and the Spanish-led EU Battlegroup (EUBG26) in the planning and initial execution of an autonomous EU Crisis Management Operation under the EU Rapid Deployment Capacity framework.

MILEX 26 / RDC LIVEX 26 participating Member States: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Portugal, Romania, Spain, and Sweden.