1. MISSION

• To coordinate, implement and manage NATO HUMINT doctrines and standards within HCOE, seeking to harmonize different views and to promote common standards acceptation and implementation, in the pursue of interoperability;
• To manage the development of NATO HUMINT doctrines and to propose amendments to the already developed ones in order to contribute to NATO transformation;
• To produce HCOE professional articles and studies related to NATO HUMINT doctrines and standards;
• To provide doctrinal expertise for HCOE courses, seminars, and conferences;
• To conduct engagement visits to NATO (and partner) nations, organizations or other headquarters for assistance or cooperation with on-going doctrinal projects;
• To assist ACO and ACT in implementing HUMINT doctrines, techniques, tactics and procedures derived from lessons learned identified in military operations.

2. BACKGROUND

In NATO, the term doctrine refers to “Fundamental principles by which the military forces guide their actions in support of objectives. It is authoritative but requires judgment in application.”
The doctrine’s aim is to provide the common framework and procedures to be followed in organizing, equipping, training and employing military personnel. Doctrines do not replace or alter a commander’s authority in establishing the proper course of action in military conflicts.
The aim of NATO Standardization is to enhance the Alliance’s operational effectiveness through interoperability among Alliance forces, and additionally between NATO forces and forces of partners and other States, thus improving efficiency in the use of available resources.

3.PROJECTS

NATO HUMINT Operator’s Handbook The NATO HUMINT Operator’s Handbook is a NATO HUMINT Centre of Excellence initiative, which covers the latest information related to planning, preparation and conduct of HUMINT operations, with current updates in the HUMINT systems and software, based on lessons identified, lessons learned, best practices derived from recent NATO operations and exercises, and proposals received from NATO nations and subject matter experts.

NATO Field HUMINT Team Collator’s Handbook The NATO Field HUMINT Team Collator’s Handbook has been developed by HCOE based on an identified need to provide specific guidance to NATO field HUMINT team collators in fulfilling their day-to-day duties and responsibilities, in the most effective manner, thus contributing to achieving interoperability in HUMINT activities.

HUMINT Interrogator’s Handbook The HUMINT interrogator’s handbook is a HCOE product meant to serve as a guide and reference document for standardized interrogation procedures, in order to achieve interoperability in HUMINT interrogation activities in support of NATO operations. This handbook intends to bridge the gap between HUMINT interrogators’ needs for guidance and the existing official documents, which are too often unavailable on a moment’s notice.

HUMINT Support to Air Operations HUMINT Support to Air Operations Study aims to provide a thorough analysis of the HUMINT capability within the air operational environment, identifies the situations where HUMINT can be particularly useful for air operations, by providing mutual awareness to stakeholders on matters of common interest.

HUMINT Support to Maritime Operations HUMINT Support to Maritime Operations Study highlights the importance of the HUMINT capability, as a JISR feature, to maritime operations. In addition, it serves to shape the foundations for the employment of embedded HUMINT assets within maritime components in a NATO environment.

HCOE Doctrine Custodianship:
-STANAG 2537 – AJP-2.3 – Allied Joint Doctrine for Human Intelligence (HUMINT);
-STANAG 2578 – AIntP-5 – Human Intelligence (HUMINT) Tactics, Techniques and Procedures

HCOE provides subject matter expertise to maintenance and development of other relevant NATO HUMINT publications:

-MC 0605/1 – NATO HUMINT Policy;
-ACO DIRECTIVE (AD) 065-007 – Human Intelligence (HUMINT);
-Allied Publications (AJP-2 series);
-ATP-108 – Intelligence Support to Tactical Land Operations;
-ACO Force Standards (AFS) Vol. II and VII.