The biannual EAG STOX Technical Arrangement (TA) Coordination Board (CB) convened on 6 July 2023. Force Protection representatives from Belgium, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Norway, Spain and Sweden attended the meeting.
The purpose of this CB is to supervise all “Survive to Operate and Force Protection (STOX) TA” and therefore ensure the increased capability of the member nations of the EAG to defend and protect themselves in both conventional and nuclear, biological and chemical environments. During the CB the following items were covered.
- Promotion and facilitation of training, exercises and personnel and information exchanges.
- Discuss and analyse Force Protection (FP) capability shortfalls and propose solutions.
- Develop and agree on further FP projects
- Plan and execute an annual VOLCANEX FP exercise
- Plan and execute the annual FP Seminar
- Develop, compile & distribute the annual FP Training Masterplan.
This iteration was hosted at Campo De Tiro, Alcochete, Portugal in conjunction with the EAG VOLCANEX exercise EATP-T23/VOLCANEX AMPT.
The day’s program consisted of the meeting itself, a lunch hosted by the Portuguese Base Commander, and then a visit to the international AMPT teams during their live firing tactical training. The day ended with a social event at the Portuguese Force Protection compound.
Deputy Director EAG, Général de brigade aérienne (OF6) Xavier FOISSEY (FA&SF), honoured us with a visit and participated in the program. The day was a great success with fruitful discussions, opportunities to meet and talk to the troops involved and mutual agreements on how to proceed on several topics.