Four NATO Allies establish a regional Special Forces command

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

25 Oct. 2019

On Friday (25 October 2019), the Defence Ministers of Croatia, Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a Regional Special Operations Component Command (R-SOCC). Under the leadership of Hungary, this multinational command will increase the ability of these four nations to effectively employ their special forces.

The R-SOCC is scheduled to reach initial operational capability in January 2021, and is expected to be fully operational by December 2024. The Command will enable each nation to use its own contributions separately, while benefitting from an integrated R-SOCC structure once activated for a deployment.

At the signing ceremony, NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana highlighted the importance of this initiative. "As Special Operational Forces constitute a highly versatile tool in modern conflict, this signing ceremony takes an important step towards strengthening Special Forces in the region and increasing cooperation and interoperability within the Alliance," he said.