BALTIC LIGHTNING 26: FROM LESSONS LEARNED TO A MORE EFFECTIVE WORKING METHOD

Motta di Livenza (TV), 16 February 2026 – In the first months of 2026, the Multinational CIMIC Group conducted the exercise “Baltic Lightning 26”, with support from the CIMIC Battalion and the Department of Political and Social Sciences (DiSPeS) of the University of Trieste (Gorizia Campus). 

The activity involved CIMIC analysts, a Tactical CIMIC Team, and students from the postgraduate course in “International Security and Cooperation,” combining operational experience and academic contribution into a single pathway. For the students, the exercise provided a high-value applied opportunity, directly linking theory to military operational practice: through engagement with CIMIC analysts and Tactical CIMIC Teams, they strengthened skills in stakeholder mapping, civil factors analysis, reporting procedures, and civil-military coordination within a realistic NATO Article 5 scenario. 

The objective was straightforward and practical: improve how civil factors are analyzed and how that analysis is turned into useful operational decisions. In practical terms, the exercise focused on three key areas: the quality of initial contextual analysis, the clarity of guidance passed to teams on the ground, and the ability to collect activity outcomes in an orderly way, so that required adjustments can be made quickly and overall effectiveness increased. “Baltic Lightning 26” builds on lessons identified during Adaptive Interaction 2025 (ADIN 25), held last November, which involved 200 military personnel from 16 countries. 

That experience clearly highlighted the need to make the link between planners and operators more fluid. On one side, structured analysis tools and the production of tasking orders were refined; on the other, the Report & Return cycle was improved namely, the process through which information gathered during CIMIC interactions is fed back to decision-making levels and translated into practical guidance. This step is essential: without clear feedback, data remain fragmented and lose value.

Activities were conducted across two locations—the University of Trieste (Gorizia Campus) and “Mario Fiore” Barracks in Motta di Livenza—within the “Occasus” exercise scenario, set in Latvia in a NATO collective defence context (Article 5). The dual-location setup made it possible to integrate study, simulation, and application, maintaining continuity between the analytical and operational phases. The outcome is a more robust working method: better integration of civil factors into planning, more effective communication across levels, and greater ability to turn field observations into timely decisions. “Baltic Lightning 26” therefore contributes to preparing personnel for future deployments and will produce a case study to be presented at the next CIMIC Units Commanders’ Conference (CUCC), scheduled in Naples from 8 to 12 June 2026, as a contribution to the development of the CIMIC function within NATO.

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