At the Ādaži base in Latvia, Jacek Raubo (Defence24) had the opportunity to talk to Major General Jette Albinus (Danish Armed Forces). The General is currently the commander of one of the most critical elements of deterrence and defense on NATO’s eastern flank, namely the Multinational Division North. Thus, during the short interview for Defence24, there was no shortage of questions about the mission fulfilled by the Multinational Division North in the current security environment of the Baltic states.
Jacek Raubo (Defence24) also addressed questions to MG J. Albinus regarding the continuous improvement of the interoperability of the forces that make up the Division, taking into account, above all, the very complex structure in which a dozen or so NATO countries are currently present. The General pointed out that her mission is also unique because it is difficult to talk about peacetime at the moment, and reality should rather be seen through the prism of something like a hybrid phase.
Let us recall that the Multinational Division North (MND N) is currently a key part of NATO forces in our region. It is subordinate to the Multinational Corps Northeast (MNCNE), which has its headquarters in Szczecin.
Photo. Defence24
The aforementioned Multinational Division North has its headquarters in Latvia and Denmark. MG Albinus commands soldiers and personnel from Latvia, Estonia, and Denmark (a framework nation) as well as Canada, Lithuania, Great Britain, Spain, Germany, Slovenia, France, Italy, and Poland.
We should note that Sweden (as a new NATO member) currently has provided essential support in the operations area of the Multinational Division North and the NATO battlegroup in Latvia.
MG J. Albinus took command of the Multinational Division North from MG Flemming Mathiasen in 2023. MG Jette Albinus is one of the most experienced officers in the Danish Armed Forces; she was, among others, Vice Chief of Joint Operations in the Danish Defence Command and began her military career in 1988. In addition to numerous positions in the Danish Armed Forces, the General completed three tours of duty in the Balkans and Afghanistan. It is worth noting that MG J. Albinus was the first woman in the Danish Armed Forces to achieve the rank of General.