The Lt. Commander provided insight on the exercise and the coalition role from the standpoint of lessons learned from the exercise.
As Pastoor noted in the earlier interview:
I’m basically on the inside, as I am a Naval Officer embedded in the Expeditionary Strike Group 2 staff, as well as coalition member, and so I’m seeing the process from both sides. I’m on the receiving end on one side, and I’m on the giving end on the other side as being the developer of the operations and the plans.
Coalition is a key part of Bold Alligator. It’s been there from beginning. From the very first concept development conferences in the beginning a year ago, coalition engagement was central.
Nowadays operations aren’t done without coalitions. The Bold Alligator process is U.S. and coalition as one team from beginning onwards. It’s really working well, getting to the same goals, doing the planning process together, working in close coordination with the French Task Group, having their plan’s over, having 6 to 10 officers from New Zealand flying in for planning conference.
We have a lot of coalition participants in our staff for the operation itself really emphasizes the importance of coalition.
It’s also been laid down on us from higher command levels that we need coalition at the center of the operational concept, and we want to have them as equal partners and as integral team members.
http://www.sldinfo.com/coalition-engagement-in-bold-alligator-2012/
In the video portion of the interview, the Dutch naval officer highlighted three key items.
First, the reliance on SIPERNET was problematical for coalition engagement. During the exercise CENTRIX was used as the coin of the realm. Pastoor underscored that planning needs to be done in CENTRIX so that there is a seemless flow to exercise and operational collaboration.
http://www.afsbirsttr.com/Publications/Documents/Transition-081409-Trident-AF03-079.pdf
Second, the Dutch had observers during the deep raid to Fort Picket. This 165 mile insertion was a far cry from the normal insertion capabilities and was enbabled by the Osprey. The Dutch were impressed with this transformational capability.
Third, Pastoor discussed the new maneuver concept from the sea which is about power projection that can go where the enemy is not and move more rapidly than the enemy.
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