The C-IED centre of excellence organizes the 23rd meeting of the NATO C-IED working group

• The meeting was attended by about 50 representatives of NATO organizations and allied and partner nations

The Counter Improvised Explosive Devices Centre of Excellence (C-IED COE) was in charge of organizing the twenty-third meeting of the NATO C-IED WG (first of the year 2022) that took place between May 23-26 in Toledo.

The working group, which meets regularly twice a year, aims to standardize and harmonize NATO documentation in the C-IED field and is made up of 4 work panels from different areas: Doctrine and Terminology, Interoperability and Technical Exploitation Panel, Maritime Environment Panel and Military Working Dogs Experts Panel.

The NATO C-IED WG’s chairman is elected by the allied nations that decide to participate in said WG. The current chairman is US Army Colonel Stephen Kavanaugh.

This twenty-third meeting was supposed to have been held in 2020 but restrictions due to the pandemic made it to be postponed. The CoE C-IED had the collaboration of the Infantry Academy, whose facilities accommodated the work meetings, the “Alijares” Military Logistics Residence, the Army Museum and the Department of Economic Development, Innovation and Tourism of the Municipal Corporation of Toledo.

The official inauguration on May 24 was presided over by Colonel Jesús Diego de Somonte y Galdeano, current head of the C-IED National Cell (CENCIED) at the Joint Defence Staff (EMACON in Spanish). Military and civil authorities attended, such as Mar Álvarez Álvarez, City Councillor for Economic Development, Innovation and Tourism of Toledo and Carlos Julio San Román Plaza, National Police Provincial Chief of Toledo, and the Lieutenant Coronel  Alfonso Armada de Losada, Chief of the Command Staff of the Infantry Academy, on behalf of its Director.

The meeting was closed by Colonel Kavanaugh, calling the members of the WG to continue the work resumed after this 23rd edition and announcing the the 24th meeting in the US in December 2022.

The organization of this type of meeting in Spain favours the knowledge of our country, culture and Armed Forces by the international personnel who attend them, as well as helping to reinforce the image of Spain's commitment to its participation in NATO, after 40 years since joining the Alliance.

Counter-Improvised Explosive Devices Centre of Excellence (C-IED CoE)

The Counter-Improvised Explosive Devices Centre of Excellence (C-IED CoE), one of 28 NATO Accredited Centres of Excellence, is located in Hoyo de Manzanares, Madrid.

Its mission is to provide expert support to NATO, NATO partners and the International Community in the fight against the IED System in order to increase the security of deployed troops by reducing or eliminating the IED threat, especially from terrorist and insurgent networks.

The Centre was offered by Spain to NATO as part of its network of Centres of Excellence and was accredited by the Alliance in November 2010.

One of the main duties of the Centres of Excellence requested by NATO is to participate in doctrinal developments and the standardization of documentation and procedures, a task that is part of this type of NSO work meeting.