Extraction Operation (EOP)

Description: The Extraction Operation (EOP) mission type consists of activities to cover or assist in the withdrawal of a UN or other military mission from a crisis region by a NATO-led force. A force committed to an extraction operation should have similar capabilities to those required by a force operating in support of NEO and should in the necessary assets for transporting the personnel to be extracted. An extraction operation is most likely to be conducted in an uncertain or hostile environment. In general, these conditions are similar to those pertaining in the previous instances of NEO. In a hostile environment, a loss of consent for the presence of a UN or other mission could occur or the HN government may not have effective control of the territory in question. Under these circumstances, planning must anticipate a potential need for a NATO extraction force. In the past, NATO has established extraction forces, on a temporary basis, to enhance the safety of international missions.