The NATO-Ukraine Joint Center for Analysis, Preparation and Education (JATEC), located in Bydgoszcz in northern Poland, will reach full operational capability in the second half of next year. This position was announced by JATEC’s commander, Polish brigadier general Wojciech Ozga.
“The final structure and achieving full operational capability of the Center is a prospect, probably in the second half of next year. It will all depend on the experience we gather during our work”
– Wojciech Ozga
Forecast for Full Operational Capability and Staffing
According to Ozga, the Center is not yet operating at full capacity.
“We still lack people; currently we have a little more than 70% of the planned number working. We also expect the rest of the staff from Ukraine, as the Center’s results largely depend on the contribution of the Ukrainian side”
– Wojciech Ozga
The Polish general also stressed that there are currently many highly experienced specialists from Ukraine working in Bydgoszcz.
Structure and International Cooperation
According to the general, JATEC is not a classic NATO military structure: its uniqueness lies in the combination of military and civilian components. About 60% of the staff are military, and 40% are civilian specialists, analysts, scientists and defense and resilience experts.
In the Center, besides Ukraine, representatives from various NATO countries work: Poland, France, Portugal, Sweden, Bulgaria, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Spain. The expert representation also covers countries distant from Eastern Europe, notably Portugal and Spain.
According to Ozga, NATO countries have the option to delegate their military and civilian representatives to JATEC outside the formal structure, on a voluntary basis. Germany and Sweden have already sent their representatives in the format of voluntary national contributions. This format is popular among NATO countries that actively exchange experience with Ukraine.
Ozga added that the Center is not limited to regular staff or volunteers from NATO countries, but is actively building a network of experts – military and civilian specialists from various fields from NATO countries and Ukraine, who periodically arrive at the Center or join remotely to hold conferences and seminars.
The Polish general emphasized that the Center gathers experience not only in the military dimension but also in the civilian sphere related to national defense. The combination of military and civilian specialists in the Center’s work allows studying the experience of total defense and resilience, which Ukraine has been implementing in practice since the start of the full-scale war.
The JATEC Center officially began operating in February this year.