EU Hybrid Exercise Multilayer Parallel and Coordinated Exercise 2018 [EU HEX-ML 18 (PACE)] was conducted from 05 to 23 Nov 13 2018 and consisted of an event-driven crisis response exercise focusing on hybrid threats provoked by state and non-state actors, and a Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) planning process at several levels (political, politico-strategic, military- strategic and operational).
Both exercises were designed to influence one another, using a geopolitical setting based in three connected theatres: Europe, Maritime (Mediterranean, Atlantic and Baltic Sea) and Africa. The scenario supported the need for the possible deployment of a CSDP military operation and a CSDP civilian mission in the same fictional country of interest.
The aim of the exercise was to improve and enhance, in a safe-to-fail environment, the EU’s ability to respond to a complex crisis of a hybrid nature with an internal and an external dimension, as well as to improve cooperation with NATO in accordance with the PACE concept.
Greece provided the EL EU OHQ in Larissa and the EL EU FHQ in Nea Santa (Kilkis) as the military EU HQs at the military-strategic and operational levels, respectively, for the needs of the exercise.
It was the first time that an EU OHQ conducted a MULTILAYER exercise under the Parallel and Coordinated Exercise (PACE) concept with EU having the leading role.
