Areas of cooperation (COPAs)
The military level of NORDEFCO is divided into five Cooperation Areas subordinate to the MCC.
The COPAS are manned with senior representatives, typically colonels or navy captains, from each of the four countries on the military level. These representatives hold relevant national decision making authority and appropriate mandate in order to fulfil the tasks given to the specific area.
The main task of the COPAs is to coordinate between the nations within their area. The COPAs can decide to start working groups for specific activities and the working groups will report back their results and recommendations on how to achieve positive effects within the activity.
The recommendations from the COPAs form the basis for the agreements that are made in the Military Coordination Committee and the Policy Steering Committee.
The five Cooperation Areas are:
- Strategic Development (COPA SD)
- Capabilities (COPA CAPA)
- Human Resources & Education (COPA HR&E)
- Training & Exercises (COPA TR&EX)
- Operations (COPA OPS)
The COPAs cover the whole defence force spectrum but with different time perspectives. To illustrate this: The COPA Strategic Development looks into the future, up to 20 years ahead, whereas the COPA Operations major concern is Nordic cooperation within on-going operations.
Cooperation Area Strategic Development (COPA SD)
The cooperation area of strategic development aims at facilitating the long-term defence cooperation between the Nordic countries in up to 20 years time frame. The COPA SD is a cooperation forum for issues related to strategic and long-term defence planning and research & development cooperation. To this end, the COPA SD:
- Analyses and addresses military-strategic and operational level trends and challenges
- Reviews the national processes for strategic and long-term defence planning, with an aim to coordinate capability development
- Identifies common future capability requirements
- Explores and develops future concepts and solutions for the armed forces
- Facilitates, plans, and coordinates the overall NORDEFCO research & development cooperation
Cooperation Area Capabilities (COPA CAPA)
COPA Capabilities will address development plans and processes within a 2-10 years timeframe in order to identify areas for co-operation. Based on common requirements, COPA CAPA will identify common projects for mutual benefit, with the intent of reducing total costs and promoting operational effectiveness.
Within the COPA Capabilities, a list of high-priority capabilities has been produced. This "top-ten" list contain those common capabilities with the greatest potential for cooperation. Typically an activity within COPA CAPA will start with a comparison of development plans and the possibility to share the work load from the planning, specification and possibly also acquisition of a new capability.
Activities within COPA Capabilities will always span over several years. To achieve substantial economic gains, the key is to cooperate from the first steps in the process. The foundation for increased operational effect is thus laid in COPA CAPA, since commonly developed capabilities provides the option to share also training, exercises, maintenance and, if decided, for combined contributions to operations.
Cooperation Area Human Resources and Education (COPA HR&E)
Cooperation Area Human Resources and Education will mainly address cooperation within the areas of individual training and courses, veterans´ issues and the various aspects of military education, such as the Peace Support Operations Education and Training programmes.
The benefits of coordinating military education between the Nordic countries are economical as well as operationally rational. The possibility to arrange common courses is in many ways a better approach than similar or identical courses in all nations.
The legacy of the former NORDCAPS PSO Education & Training, where courses are divided between the Nordic Training Centres, is an on-going activity within COPA HR&E area of responsibility.
Cooperation Area Training and Exercises (COPA TR&EX)
COPA Training and Exercises will continuously identify possibilities to coordinate and harmonize military training activities among the NORDEFCO nations and facilitate a combined and joint exercise plan for a continuation of five years.
Common exercises are no news to the Nordic nations, and COPA TR&EX will ensure the continuation as well as further development of the training and exercising. Large scale exercises and some very specialized unit training often prove difficult for the single nations to afford or to be able to arrange. The main priority of COPA TR&EX is the Combined Joint Nordic Exercise Plan (CJNEP), which is a five-year exercise plan, put together by the Nordic nations.
Related to the Exercise Plan the arrangements for cross-border air exercises will be expanded and developed. The mutual use of exercise areas, firing ranges and facilities is being investigated, in order to find efficient ways to benefit from already existing military infrastructure.
Cooperation Area Operations (COPA OPS)
COPA Operations will plan, manage and support already agreed activities and generate and identify new initiatives in the areas of single service operations, joint international operations, logistics and movement and transportation in order to enhance the Nordic cooperation in the area of military operations.
The focus for COPA OPS is Afghanistan. All the Nordic nations contribute to the ISAF operation and close cooperation has been established within the areas of medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) helicopters, logistics and the operational mentoring (OMLT) of the Afghan Army. These activities improves the operational effect of the Nordic nations and have a positive economical impact.
COPA operations also develop future plans for the mentoring and partnering in connection to the transition of responsibility to the Afghan Army, in order to secure a rational Nordic approach in the transition process.
