NATO Force Integration Unit Hungary prepares for Precise Reception 21 evaluation


In terms of its organizational structure, the NFIU (NATO Force Integration Unit) is not different from other NATO entities. In the same way, one can find different "J" branches, only that on a smaller scale.
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In May, NATO Force Integration Unit Hungary (NFIU HUN) located in Székesfehérvár will carry out their evaluation exercise Precise Reception 21 (Picture source: Twitter account of NATO/SHAPE)


“Among other things, our daily routine comprises meetings, briefings, drafting daily and weekly reports and evaluations. We organize courses and training for staff officers serving here, both at home and abroad. This is an excellent opportunity for them to expand their knowledge in specific areas. In our organization, officers rotate every two or three years, so the preparation of new colleagues is also a continuous process. Because many of them visit Hungary for the first time in connection with their service, we help them integrate into the new country.”

Col. Topor gives an insight into the NFIU everyday life. "With the evaluation exercise ahead, this daily routine is expected to change significantly. It is common knowledge that different levels of NATO headquarters need to be evaluated every three years. Having reached Full Operational Capability, we completed our very first evaluation exercise with an excellent rate in 2017. We do not want to do any less than that this year, either. Interestingly, the conducting of evaluation exercises is the Host Nation's responsibility - in this case, the Hungarian Defence Forces. NATO sends their observers, who carry out inspections in cooperation with Hungarian experts, based on a system of criteria developed and approved by the Alliance. This system is very complex and rigid; it covers all disciplines, outlines requirements, forming the complete evaluation system. Intensive preparations and training have already been underway, in coordination with our existing IT systems, we are planning a preliminary exercise for ourselves. The evaluation is otherwise divided into two parts."

“The first is administrative, where inspectors examine all documents needed to carry out our mission. In the practical part based on a fictitious scenario, we have to prove that we are able to perform our operational tasks in real conditions,” Col. Topor describes the course of the evaluation.

It is worthwhile to note that, according to the preliminary plans, the NFIU HUN evaluation was meant to be tied to a NATO exercise involving real team movements, but the Covid-19 epidemic overwrote also this plan.