On 28 January, Major General Bogdan Rycerski, Commander of the Joint Force Training Centre (JFTC), visited the Joint Analysis and Lessons Learned Centre (JALLC) to reaffirm their shared commitment to enhancing NATO’s operational effectiveness.

The visit focused on JALLC’s role in supporting NATO exercises, and enhancing NATO’s ability to learn, adapt, and improve operational effectiveness and began with the Major General paying an office call to the JALLC’s Commander, Commodore Antonio Neves Correia. The JFTC’s Commander then received a detailed briefing from the JALLC’s leadership and key staff, highlighting the JALLC’s key activities and its vital role as NATO’s lead agent for lessons learned. Discussions centred on how the JALLC supports NATO exercises, with a particular focus on Exercise LOYAL LEDA, currently led by JFTC. The meeting also explored the JALLC’s perspective on lessons learned and its contributions to enhancing the realism and effectiveness of NATO exercises, as well as NATO’s broader approach to learning and adaptation.

A key point of discussion was the NATO Lessons Learned Portal, NATO’s single tool for Lessons related information. The Portal’s success depends on the active contributions of NATO Commands and stakeholders, ensuring that valuable insights are captured and shared to improve future operations. As such the JFTC’s excellent contribution of content to the Portal was highlighted during the presentation and the Commander’s discussed ways to further enhance the effectiveness of NATO’s Lessons Learned Capability. This is a topic that will be discussed in more depth in an upcoming conference that will see representatives from across Allied Command Transformation get together to strengthen ties and discuss challenges and synergies.

The visit concluded with discussions on shared areas of common interest, and potential synergies between JFTC and JALLC, reinforcing their partnership in advancing NATO’s mission and the effectiveness of its lessons learned framework.