The UK Royal Navy's (RN's) Maritime Battle Staff is preparing to take up command of the NATO Response Force (NRF) maritime component this July. The move marks the start of a new chapter in/NATO's transformation and the latest milestone in the development of the Commander UK Maritime Forces (COMUKMARFOR) organisation. NATO heads of state and government agreed at the November 2002 Prague Summit to create the NRF as a robust and credible high-readiness force able to deploy quickly to participate in the full spectrum of NATO operations. Characterised by readiness and interoperability - rather than the maintenance of significant standing forces - it is intended to offer a joint and combined force with command, maritime, ground and air components and will be capable of performing some missions independently, as well as participating in an operation as part of a larger force or serving as an initial-entry force to 'shape the battlespace' for follow-on forces.
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