The Alliance's Strategic Concept
Approved by the Heads of State and Government participating in the
meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Washington D.C.
Introduction
1. At their Summit meeting in Washington in April 1999, NATO Heads of State and
Government approved the Alliance's new Strategic Concept.
2. NATO has successfully ensured the freedom of its members and prevented war in Europe
during the 40 years of the Cold War. By combining defence with dialogue, it played an
indispensable role in bringing East-West confrontation to a peaceful end. The dramatic
changes in the Euro-Atlantic strategic landscape brought by the end of the Cold War were
reflected in the Alliance's 1991 Strategic Concept. There have, however, been further
profound political and security developments since then.
3. The dangers of the Cold War have given way to more promising, but also challenging
prospects, to new opportunities and risks. A new Europe of greater integration is emerging,
and a Euro-Atlantic security structure is evolving in which NATO plays a central part. The
Alliance has been at the heart of efforts to establish new patterns of cooperation and
mutual understanding across the Euro-Atlantic region and has committed itself to essential
new activities in the interest of a wider stability. It has shown the depth of that commitment
in its efforts to put an end to the immense human suffering created by conflict in the
Balkans. The years since the end of the Cold War have also witnessed important
developments in arms control, a process to which the Alliance is fully committed. The
Alliance's role in these positive developments has been underpinned by the comprehensive
adaptation of its approach to security and of its procedures and structures. The last ten
years have also seen, however, the appearance of complex new risks to Euro-Atlantic peace
and stability, including oppression, ethnic conflict, economic distress, the collapse of
political order, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
4. The Alliance has an indispensable role to play in consolidating and preserving the positive
24 Apr. 1999 - | Press Release NAC-S(99) 65 Issued on 24 Apr. 1999 |
Last updated: 25 Jun. 2009 12:18
changes of the recent past, and in meeting current and future security challenges. It has,
therefore, a demanding agenda. It must safeguard common security interests in an
environment of further, often unpredictable change. It must maintain collective defence
and reinforce the transatlantic link and ensure a balance that allows the European Allies to
assume greater responsibility. It must deepen its relations with its partners and prepare for
the accession of new members. It must, above all, maintain the political will and the
military means required by the entire range of its missions.
5. This new Strategic Concept will guide the Alliance as it pursues this agenda. It expresses
NATO's enduring purpose and nature and its fundamental security tasks, identifies the
central features of the new security environment, specifies the elements of the Alliance's
broad approach to security, and provides guidelines for the further adaptation of its
military forces.
Part I - The Purpose and Tasks of the Alliance
6. NATO's essential and enduring purpose, set out in the Washington Treaty, is to safeguard
the freedom and security of all its members by political and military means. Based on
common values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, the Alliance has striven
since its inception to secure a just and lasting peaceful order in Europe. It will continue to
do so. The achievement of this aim can be put at risk by crisis and conflict affecting the
security of the Euro-Atlantic area. The Alliance therefore not only ensures the defence of its
members but contributes to peace and stability in this region.
7. The Alliance embodies the transatlantic link by which the security of North America is
permanently tied to the security of Europe. It is the practical expression of effective
collective effort among its members in support of their common interests.
8. The fundamental guiding principle by which the Alliance works is that of common
commitment and mutual co-operation among sovereign states in support of the
indivisibility of security for all of its members. Solidarity and cohesion within the Alliance,
through daily cooperation in both the political and military spheres, ensure that no single
Ally is forced to rely upon its own national efforts alone in dealing with basic security
challenges. Without depriving member states of their right and duty to assume their
sovereign responsibilities in the field of defence, the Alliance enables them through
collective effort to realise their essential national security objectives.
9. The resulting sense of equal security among the members of the Alliance, regardless of
differences in their circumstances or in their national military capabilities, contributes to
stability in the Euro-Atlantic area. The Alliance does not seek these benefits for its members
alone, but is committed to the creation of conditions conducive to increased partnership,
cooperation, and dialogue with others who share its broad political objectives.
0. To achieve its essential purpose, as an Alliance of nations committed to the Washington
Treaty and the United Nations Charter, the Alliance performs the following fundamental
security tasks:
Security: To provide one of the indispensable foundations for a stable Euro-Atlantic
security environment, based on the growth of democratic institutions and commitment to
the peaceful resolution of disputes, in which no country would be able to intimidate or
coerce any other through the threat or use of force.
Consultation: To serve, as provided for in Article 4 of the Washington Treaty, as an
essential transatlantic forum for Allied consultations on any issues that affect their vital
interests, including possible developments posing risks for members' security, and for
appropriate co-ordination of their efforts in fields of common concern.
Deterrence and Defence: To deter and defend against any threat of aggression against
any NATO member state as provided for in Articles 5 and 6 of the Washington Treaty.
And in order to enhance the security and stability of the Euro-Atlantic area:
Crisis Management: To stand ready, case-by-case and by consensus, in conformity
with Article 7 of the Washington Treaty, to contribute to effective conflict prevention
and to engage actively in crisis management, including crisis response operations.
Partnership: To promote wide-ranging partnership, cooperation, and dialogue with
other countries in the Euro-Atlantic area, with the aim of increasing transparency,
mutual confidence and the capacity for joint action with the Alliance.
1. In fulfilling its purpose and fundamental security tasks, the Alliance will continue to respect
the legitimate security interests of others, and seek the peaceful resolution of disputes as
set out in the Charter of the United Nations. The Alliance will promote peaceful and friendly
international relations and support democratic institutions. The Alliance does not consider
itself to be any country's adversary.
Part II - Strategic Perspectives
The Evolving Strategic Environment
2. The Alliance operates in an environment of continuing change. Developments in recent
years have been generally positive, but uncertainties and risks remain which can develop
into acute crises. Within this evolving context, NATO has played an essential part in
strengthening Euro-Atlantic security since the end of the Cold War. Its growing political role;
its increased political and military partnership, cooperation and dialogue with other states,
including with Russia, Ukraine and Mediterranean Dialogue countries; its continuing
openness to the accession of new members; its collaboration with other international
organisations; its commitment, exemplified in the Balkans, to conflict prevention and crisis
management, including through peace support operations: all reflect its determination to
shape its security environment and enhance the peace and stability of the Euro-Atlantic
area.
3. In parallel, NATO has successfully adapted to enhance its ability to contribute to EuroAtlantic
peace and stability. Internal reform has included a new command structure,
including the Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF) concept, the creation of arrangements to
permit the rapid deployment of forces for the full range of the Alliance's missions, and the
building of the European Security and Defence Identity (ESDI) within the Alliance.
4. The United Nations (UN), the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE),
the European Union (EU), and the Western European Union (WEU) have made distinctive
contributions to Euro-Atlantic security and stability. Mutually reinforcing organisations have
become a central feature of the security environment.
5. The United Nations Security Council has the primary responsibility for the maintenance of
international peace and security and, as such, plays a crucial role in contributing to security
and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area.
6. The OSCE, as a regional arrangement, is the most inclusive security organisation in Europe,
which also includes Canada and the United States, and plays an essential role in promoting
peace and stability, enhancing cooperative security, and advancing democracy and human
rights in Europe. The OSCE is particularly active in the fields of preventive diplomacy,
conflict prevention, crisis management, and post-conflict rehabilitation. NATO and the
OSCE have developed close practical cooperation, especially with regard to the
international effort to bring peace to the former Yugoslavia.
7. The European Union has taken important decisions and given a further impetus to its
efforts to strengthen its security and defence dimension. This process will have
implications for the entire Alliance, and all European Allies should be involved in it, building
on arrangements developed by NATO and the WEU. The development of a common foreign
and security policy (CFSP) includes the progressive framing of a common defence policy.
Such a policy, as called for in the Amsterdam Treaty, would be compatible with the
common security and defence policy established within the framework of the Washington
Treaty. Important steps taken in this context include the incorporation of the WEU's
Petersberg tasks into the Treaty on European Union and the development of closer
institutional relations with the WEU.
8. As stated in the 1994 Summit declaration and reaffirmed in Berlin in 1996, the Alliance fully
supports the development of the European Security and Defence Identity within the
Alliance by making available its assets and capabilities for WEU-led operations. To this end,
the Alliance and the WEU have developed a close relationship and put into place key
elements of the ESDI as agreed in Berlin. In order to enhance peace and stability in Europe
and more widely, the European Allies are strengthening their capacity for action, including
by increasing their military capabilities. The increase of the responsibilities and capacities
of the European Allies with respect to security and defence enhances the security
environment of the Alliance.
9. The stability, transparency, predictability, lower levels of armaments, and verification which
can be provided by arms control and non-proliferation agreements support NATO's political
and military efforts to achieve its strategic objectives. The Allies have played a major part in
the significant achievements in this field. These include the enhanced stability produced by
the CFE Treaty, the deep reductions in nuclear weapons provided for in the START treaties;
the signature of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, the indefinite and unconditional
extension of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the accession to it of Belarus,
Kazakhstan, and Ukraine as non-nuclear weapons states, and the entry into force of the
Chemical Weapons Convention. The Ottawa Convention to ban anti-personnel landmines
and similar agreements make an important contribution to alleviating human suffering.
There are welcome prospects for further advances in arms control in conventional
weapons and with respect to nuclear, chemical, and biological (NBC) weapons.
Security challenges and risks
0. Notwithstanding positive developments in the strategic environment and the fact that
large-scale conventional aggression against the Alliance is highly unlikely, the possibility of
such a threat emerging over the longer term exists. The security of the Alliance remains
subject to a wide variety of military and non-military risks which are multi-directional and
often difficult to predict. These risks include uncertainty and instability in and around the
Euro-Atlantic area and the possibility of regional crises at the periphery of the Alliance,
which could evolve rapidly. Some countries in and around the Euro-Atlantic area face
serious economic, social and political difficulties. Ethnic and religious rivalries, territorial
disputes, inadequate or failed efforts at reform, the abuse of human rights, and the
dissolution of states can lead to local and even regional instability. The resulting tensions
could lead to crises affecting Euro-Atlantic stability, to human suffering, and to armed
conflicts. Such conflicts could affect the security of the Alliance by spilling over into
neighbouring countries, including NATO countries, or in other ways, and could also affect
the security of other states.
1. The existence of powerful nuclear forces outside the Alliance also constitutes a significant
factor which the Alliance has to take into account if security and stability in the EuroAtlantic
area are to be maintained.
2. The proliferation of NBC weapons and their means of delivery remains a matter of serious
concern. In spite of welcome progress in strengthening international non-proliferation
regimes, major challenges with respect to proliferation remain. The Alliance recognises that
proliferation can occur despite efforts to prevent it and can pose a direct military threat to
the Allies' populations, territory, and forces. Some states, including on NATO's periphery
and in other regions, sell or acquire or try to acquire NBC weapons and delivery means.
Commodities and technology that could be used to build these weapons of mass
destruction and their delivery means are becoming more common, while detection and
prevention of illicit trade in these materials and know-how continues to be difficult. Nonstate
actors have shown the potential to create and use some of these weapons.
3. The global spread of technology that can be of use in the production of weapons may
result in the greater availability of sophisticated military capabilities, permitting adversaries
to acquire highly capable offensive and defensive air, land, and sea-borne systems, cruise
missiles, and other advanced weaponry. In addition, state and non-state adversaries may
try to exploit the Alliance's growing reliance on information systems through information
operations designed to disrupt such systems. They may attempt to use strategies of this
kind to counter NATO's superiority in traditional weaponry.
4. Any armed attack on the territory of the Allies, from whatever direction, would be covered
by Articles 5 and 6 of the Washington Treaty. However, Alliance security must also take
account of the global context. Alliance security interests can be affected by other risks of a
wider nature, including acts of terrorism, sabotage and organised crime, and by the
disruption of the flow of vital resources. The uncontrolled movement of large numbers of
people, particularly as a consequence of armed conflicts, can also pose problems for
security and stability affecting the Alliance. Arrangements exist within the Alliance for
consultation among the Allies under Article 4 of the Washington Treaty and, where
appropriate, co-ordination of their efforts including their responses to risks of this kind.
Part III - The Approach to Security in the 21st Century
5. The Alliance is committed to a broad approach to security, which recognises the
importance of political, economic, social and environmental factors in addition to the
indispensable defence dimension. This broad approach forms the basis for the Alliance to
accomplish its fundamental security tasks effectively, and its increasing effort to develop
effective cooperation with other European and Euro-Atlantic organisations as well as the
United Nations. Our collective aim is to build a European security architecture in which the
Alliance's contribution to the security and stability of the Euro-Atlantic area and the
contribution of these other international organisations are complementary and mutually
reinforcing, both in deepening relations among Euro-Atlantic countries and in managing
crises. NATO remains the essential forum for consultation among the Allies and the forum
for agreement on policies bearing on the security and defence commitments of its
members under the Washington Treaty.
6. The Alliance seeks to preserve peace and to reinforce Euro-Atlantic security and stability by:
the preservation of the transatlantic link; the maintenance of effective military capabilities
sufficient for deterrence and defence and to fulfil the full range of its missions; the
development of the European Security and Defence Identity within the Alliance; an overall
capability to manage crises successfully; its continued openness to new members; and the
continued pursuit of partnership, cooperation, and dialogue with other nations as part of
its co-operative approach to Euro-Atlantic security, including in the field of arms control and
disarmament.
The Transatlantic Link
7. NATO is committed to a strong and dynamic partnership between Europe and North
America in support of the values and interests they share. The security of Europe and that
of North America are indivisible. Thus the Alliance's commitment to the indispensable
transatlantic link and the collective defence of its members is fundamental to its credibility
and to the security and stability of the Euro-Atlantic area.
The Maintenance Of Alliance Military Capabilities
8. The maintenance of an adequate military capability and clear preparedness to act
collectively in the common defence remain central to the Alliance's security objectives.
Such a capability, together with political solidarity, remains at the core of the Alliance's
ability to prevent any attempt at coercion or intimidation, and to guarantee that military
aggression directed against the Alliance can never be perceived as an option with any
prospect of success.
9. Military capabilities effective under the full range of foreseeable circumstances are also the
basis of the Alliance's ability to contribute to conflict prevention and crisis management
through non-Article 5 crisis response operations. These missions can be highly demanding
and can place a premium on the same political and military qualities, such as cohesion,
multinational training, and extensive prior planning, that would be essential in an Article 5
situation. Accordingly, while they may pose special requirements, they will be handled
through a common set of Alliance structures and procedures.
The European Security And Defence Identity
0. The Alliance, which is the foundation of the collective defence of its members and through
which common security objectives will be pursued wherever possible, remains committed
to a balanced and dynamic transatlantic partnership. The European Allies have taken
decisions to enable them to assume greater responsibilities in the security and defence
field in order to enhance the peace and stability of the Euro-Atlantic area and thus the
security of all Allies. On the basis of decisions taken by the Alliance, in Berlin in 1996 and
subsequently, the European Security and Defence Identity will continue to be developed
within NATO. This process will require close cooperation between NATO, the WEU and, if
and when appropriate, the European Union. It will enable all European Allies to make a
more coherent and effective contribution to the missions and activities of the Alliance as an
expression of our shared responsibilities; it will reinforce the transatlantic partnership; and
it will assist the European Allies to act by themselves as required through the readiness of
the Alliance, on a case-by-case basis and by consensus, to make its assets and capabilities
available for operations in which the Alliance is not engaged militarily under the political
control and strategic direction either of the WEU or as otherwise agreed, taking into
account the full participation of all European Allies if they were so to choose.
Conflict Prevention And Crisis Management
1. In pursuit of its policy of preserving peace, preventing war, and enhancing security and
stability and as set out in the fundamental security tasks, NATO will seek, in cooperation
with other organisations, to prevent conflict, or, should a crisis arise, to contribute to its
effective management, consistent with international law, including through the possibility
of conducting non-Article 5 crisis response operations. The Alliance's preparedness to carry
out such operations supports the broader objective of reinforcing and extending stability
and often involves the participation of NATO's Partners. NATO recalls its offer, made in
Brussels in 1994, to support on a case-by-case basis in accordance with its own procedures,
peacekeeping and other operations under the authority of the UN Security Council or the
responsibility of the OSCE, including by making available Alliance resources and expertise.
In this context NATO recalls its subsequent decisions with respect to crisis response
operations in the Balkans. Taking into account the necessity for Alliance solidarity and
cohesion, participation in any such operation or mission will remain subject to decisions of
member states in accordance with national constitutions.
2. NATO will make full use of partnership, cooperation and dialogue and its links to other
organisations to contribute to preventing crises and, should they arise, defusing them at an
early stage. A coherent approach to crisis management, as in any use of force by the
Alliance, will require the Alliance's political authorities to choose and co-ordinate
appropriate responses from a range of both political and military measures and to exercise
close political control at all stages.
Partnership, Cooperation, And Dialogue
3. Through its active pursuit of partnership, cooperation, and dialogue, the Alliance is a
positive force in promoting security and stability throughout the Euro-Atlantic area.
Through outreach and openness, the Alliance seeks to preserve peace, support and
promote democracy, contribute to prosperity and progress, and foster genuine partnership
with and among all democratic Euro-Atlantic countries. This aims at enhancing the security
of all, excludes nobody, and helps to overcome divisions and disagreements that could lead
to instability and conflict.
4. The Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) will remain the overarching framework for all
aspects of NATO's cooperation with its Partners. It offers an expanded political dimension
for both consultation and cooperation. EAPC consultations build increased transparency
and confidence among its members on security issues, contribute to conflict prevention
and crisis management, and develop practical cooperation activities, including in civil
emergency planning, and scientific and environmental affairs.
5. The Partnership for Peace is the principal mechanism for forging practical security links
between the Alliance and its Partners and for enhancing interoperability between Partners
and NATO. Through detailed programmes that reflect individual Partners' capacities and
interests, Allies and Partners work towards transparency in national defence planning and
budgeting; democratic control of defence forces; preparedness for civil disasters and other
emergencies; and the development of the ability to work together, including in NATO-led
PfP operations. The Alliance is committed to increasing the role the Partners play in PfP
decision-making and planning, and making PfP more operational. NATO has undertaken to
consult with any active participant in the Partnership if that Partner perceives a direct
threat to its territorial integrity, political independence, or security.
6. Russia plays a unique role in Euro-Atlantic security. Within the framework of the NATORussia
Founding Act on Mutual Relations, Cooperation and Security, NATO and Russia have
committed themselves to developing their relations on the basis of common interest,
reciprocity and transparency to achieve a lasting and inclusive peace in the Euro-Atlantic
area based on the principles of democracy and co-operative security. NATO and Russia
have agreed to give concrete substance to their shared commitment to build a stable,
peaceful and undivided Europe. A strong, stable and enduring partnership between NATO
and Russia is essential to achieve lasting stability in the Euro-Atlantic area.
7. Ukraine occupies a special place in the Euro-Atlantic security environment and is an
important and valuable partner in promoting stability and common democratic values.
NATO is committed to further strengthening its distinctive partnership with Ukraine on the
basis of the NATO-Ukraine Charter, including political consultations on issues of common
concern and a broad range of practical cooperation activities. The Alliance continues to
support Ukrainian sovereignty and independence, territorial integrity, democratic
development, economic prosperity and its status as a non-nuclear weapons state as key
factors of stability and security in central and eastern Europe and in Europe as a whole.
8. The Mediterranean is an area of special interest to the Alliance. Security in Europe is closely
linked to security and stability in the Mediterranean. NATO's Mediterranean Dialogue
process is an integral part of NATO's co-operative approach to security. It provides a
framework for confidence building, promotes transparency and cooperation in the region,
and reinforces and is reinforced by other international efforts. The Alliance is committed to
developing progressively the political, civil, and military aspects of the Dialogue with the
aim of achieving closer cooperation with, and more active involvement by, countries that
are partners in this Dialogue.
Enlargement
9. The Alliance remains open to new members under Article 10 of the Washington Treaty. It
expects to extend further invitations in coming years to nations willing and able to assume
the responsibilities and obligations of membership, and as NATO determines that the
inclusion of these nations would serve the overall political and strategic interests of the
Alliance, strengthen its effectiveness and cohesion, and enhance overall European security
and stability. To this end, NATO has established a programme of activities to assist aspiring
countries in their preparations for possible future membership in the context of its wider
relationship with them. No European democratic country whose admission would fulfil the
objectives of the Treaty will be excluded from consideration.
Arms Control, Disarmament, And Non-Proliferation
0. The Alliance's policy of support for arms control, disarmament, and non-proliferation will
continue to play a major role in the achievement of the Alliance's security objectives. The
Allies seek to enhance security and stability at the lowest possible level of forces consistent
with the Alliance's ability to provide for collective defence and to fulfil the full range of its
missions. The Alliance will continue to ensure that - as an important part of its broad
approach to security - defence and arms control, disarmament, and non-proliferation
objectives remain in harmony. The Alliance will continue to actively contribute to the
development of arms control, disarmament, and non-proliferation agreements as well as to
confidence and security building measures. The Allies take seriously their distinctive role in
promoting a broader, more comprehensive and more verifiable international arms control
and disarmament process. The Alliance will enhance its political efforts to reduce dangers
arising from the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery.
The principal non-proliferation goal of the Alliance and its members is to prevent
proliferation from occurring or, should it occur, to reverse it through diplomatic means. The
Alliance attaches great importance to the continuing validity and the full implementation by
all parties of the CFE Treaty as an essential element in ensuring the stability of the EuroAtlantic
area.
Part IV - Guidelines for the Alliance's Forces Principles Of Alliance Strategy
1. The Alliance will maintain the necessary military capabilities to accomplish the full range of
NATO's missions. The principles of Allied solidarity and strategic unity remain paramount
for all Alliance missions. Alliance forces must safeguard NATO's military effectiveness and
freedom of action. The security of all Allies is indivisible: an attack on one is an attack on all.
With respect to collective defence under Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, the combined
military forces of the Alliance must be capable of deterring any potential aggression against
it, of stopping an aggressor's advance as far forward as possible should an attack
nevertheless occur, and of ensuring the political independence and territorial integrity of
its member states. They must also be prepared to contribute to conflict prevention and to
conduct non-Article 5 crisis response operations. The Alliance's forces have essential roles
in fostering cooperation and understanding with NATO's Partners and other states,
particularly in helping Partners to prepare for potential participation in NATO-led PfP
operations. Thus they contribute to the preservation of peace, to the safeguarding of
common security interests of Alliance members, and to the maintenance of the security
and stability of the Euro-Atlantic area. By deterring the use of NBC weapons, they
contribute to Alliance efforts aimed at preventing the proliferation of these weapons and
their delivery means.
2. The achievement of the Alliance's aims depends critically on the equitable sharing of the
roles, risks and responsibilities, as well as the benefits, of common defence. The presence
of United States conventional and nuclear forces in Europe remains vital to the security of
Europe, which is inseparably linked to that of North America. The North American Allies
contribute to the Alliance through military forces available for Alliance missions, through
their broader contribution to international peace and security, and through the provision of
unique training facilities on the North American continent. The European Allies also make
wide-ranging and substantial contributions. As the process of developing the ESDI within
the Alliance progresses, the European Allies will further enhance their contribution to the
common defence and to international peace and stability including through multinational
formations.
3. The principle of collective effort in Alliance defence is embodied in practical arrangements
that enable the Allies to enjoy the crucial political, military and resource advantages of
collective defence, and prevent the renationalisation of defence policies, without depriving
the Allies of their sovereignty. These arrangements also enable NATO's forces to carry out
non-Article 5 crisis response operations and constitute a prerequisite for a coherent
Alliance response to all possible contingencies. They are based on procedures for
consultation, an integrated military structure, and on co-operation agreements. Key
features include collective force planning; common funding; common operational planning;
multinational formations, headquarters and command arrangements; an integrated air
defence system; a balance of roles and responsibilities among the Allies; the stationing and
deployment of forces outside home territory when required; arrangements, including
planning, for crisis management and reinforcement; common standards and procedures
for equipment, training and logistics; joint and combined doctrines and exercises when
appropriate; and infrastructure, armaments and logistics cooperation. The inclusion of
NATO's Partners in such arrangements or the development of similar arrangements for
them, in appropriate areas, is also instrumental in enhancing cooperation and common
efforts in Euro-Atlantic security matters.
4. Multinational funding, including through the Military Budget and the NATO Security
Investment Programme, will continue to play an important role in acquiring and
maintaining necessary assets and capabilities. The management of resources should be
guided by the military requirements of the Alliance as they evolve.
5. The Alliance supports the further development of the ESDI within the Alliance, including by
being prepared to make available assets and capabilities for operations under the political
control and strategic direction either of the WEU or as otherwise agreed.
6. To protect peace and to prevent war or any kind of coercion, the Alliance will maintain for
the foreseeable future an appropriate mix of nuclear and conventional forces based in
Europe and kept up to date where necessary, although at a minimum sufficient level.
Taking into account the diversity of risks with which the Alliance could be faced, it must
maintain the forces necessary to ensure credible deterrence and to provide a wide range of
conventional response options. But the Alliance's conventional forces alone cannot ensure
credible deterrence. Nuclear weapons make a unique contribution in rendering the risks of
aggression against the Alliance incalculable and unacceptable. Thus, they remain essential
to preserve peace.
The Alliance's Force Posture
The Missions of Alliance Military Forces
7. The primary role of Alliance military forces is to protect peace and to guarantee the
territorial integrity, political independence and security of member states. The Alliance's
forces must therefore be able to deter and defend effectively, to maintain or restore the
territorial integrity of Allied nations and - in case of conflict - to terminate war rapidly by
making an aggressor reconsider his decision, cease his attack and withdraw. NATO forces
must maintain the ability to provide for collective defence while conducting effective nonArticle
5 crisis response operations.
8. The maintenance of the security and stability of the Euro-Atlantic area is of key importance.
An important aim of the Alliance and its forces is to keep risks at a distance by dealing with
potential crises at an early stage. In the event of crises which jeopardise Euro-Atlantic
stability and could affect the security of Alliance members, the Alliance's military forces
may be called upon to conduct crisis response operations. They may also be called upon to
contribute to the preservation of international peace and security by conducting operations
in support of other international organisations, complementing and reinforcing political
actions within a broad approach to security.
9. In contributing to the management of crises through military operations, the Alliance's
forces will have to deal with a complex and diverse range of actors, risks, situations and
demands, including humanitarian emergencies. Some non-Article 5 crisis response
operations may be as demanding as some collective defence missions. Well-trained and
well-equipped forces at adequate levels of readiness and in sufficient strength to meet the
full range of contingencies as well as the appropriate support structures, planning tools
and command and control capabilities are essential in providing efficient military
contributions. The Alliance should also be prepared to support, on the basis of separable
but not separate capabilities, operations under the political control and strategic direction
either of the WEU or as otherwise agreed. The potential participation of Partners and other
non-NATO nations in NATO-led operations as well as possible operations with Russia would
be further valuable elements of NATO's contribution to managing crises that affect EuroAtlantic
security.
0. Alliance military forces also contribute to promoting stability throughout the Euro-Atlantic
area by their participation in military-to-military contacts and in other cooperation activities
and exercises under the Partnership for Peace as well as those organised to deepen NATO's
relationships with Russia, Ukraine and the Mediterranean Dialogue countries. They
contribute to stability and understanding by participating in confidence-building activities,
including those which enhance transparency and improve communication; as well as in
verification of arms control agreements and in humanitarian de-mining. Key areas of
consultation and cooperation could include inter alia: training and exercises,
interoperability, civil-military relations, concept and doctrine development, defence
planning, crisis management, proliferation issues, armaments cooperation as well as
participation in operational planning and operations.
Guidelines for the Alliance's Force Posture
1. To implement the Alliance's fundamental security tasks and the principles of its strategy,
the forces of the Alliance must continue to be adapted to meet the requirements of the full
range of Alliance missions effectively and to respond to future challenges. The posture of
Allies' forces, building on the strengths of different national defence structures, will
conform to the guidelines developed in the following paragraphs.
2. The size, readiness, availability and deployment of the Alliance's military forces will reflect
its commitment to collective defence and to conduct crisis response operations, sometimes
at short notice, distant from their home stations, including beyond the Allies' territory. The
characteristics of the Alliance's forces will also reflect the provisions of relevant arms
control agreements. Alliance forces must be adequate in strength and capabilities to deter
and counter aggression against any Ally. They must be interoperable and have appropriate
doctrines and technologies. They must be held at the required readiness and deployability,
and be capable of military success in a wide range of complex joint and combined
operations, which may also include Partners and other non-NATO nations.
3. This means in particular:
a. that the overall size of the Allies' forces will be kept at the lowest levels consistent with
the requirements of collective defence and other Alliance missions; they will be held
at appropriate and graduated readiness;
b. that the peacetime geographical distribution of forces will ensure a sufficient military
presence throughout the territory of the Alliance, including the stationing and
deployment of forces outside home territory and waters and forward deployment of
forces when and where necessary. Regional and, in particular, geostrategic
considerations within the Alliance will have to be taken into account, as instabilities on
NATO's periphery could lead to crises or conflicts requiring an Alliance military
response, potentially with short warning times;
c. that NATO's command structure will be able to undertake command and control of
the full range of the Alliance's military missions including through the use of
deployable combined and joint HQs, in particular CJTF headquarters, to command
and control multinational and multiservice forces. It will also be able to support
operations under the political control and strategic direction either of the WEU or as
otherwise agreed, thereby contributing to the development of the ESDI within the
Alliance, and to conduct NATO-led non-Article 5 crisis response operations in which
Partners and other countries may participate;
d. that overall, the Alliance will, in both the near and long term and for the full range of
its missions, require essential operational capabilities such as an effective
engagement capability; deployability and mobility; survivability of forces and
infrastructure; and sustainability, incorporating logistics and force rotation. To
develop these capabilities to their full potential for multinational operations,
interoperability, including human factors, the use of appropriate advanced
technology, the maintenance of information superiority in military operations, and
highly qualified personnel with a broad spectrum of skills will be important. Sufficient
capabilities in the areas of command, control and communications as well as
intelligence and surveillance will serve as necessary force multipliers;
e. that at any time a limited but militarily significant proportion of ground, air and sea
forces will be able to react as rapidly as necessary to a wide range of eventualities,
including a short-notice attack on any Ally. Greater numbers of force elements will be
available at appropriate levels of readiness to sustain prolonged operations, whether
within or beyond Alliance territory, including through rotation of deployed forces.
Taken together, these forces must also be of sufficient quality, quantity and readiness
to contribute to deterrence and to defend against limited attacks on the Alliance;
f. that the Alliance must be able to build up larger forces, both in response to any
fundamental changes in the security environment and for limited requirements, by
reinforcement, by mobilising reserves, or by reconstituting forces when necessary.
This ability must be in proportion to potential threats to Alliance security, including
potential long-term developments. It must take into account the possibility of
substantial improvements in the readiness and capabilities of military forces on the
periphery of the Alliance. Capabilities for timely reinforcement and resupply both
within and from Europe and North America will remain of critical importance, with a
resulting need for a high degree of deployability, mobility and flexibility;
g. that appropriate force structures and procedures, including those that would provide
an ability to build up, deploy and draw down forces quickly and selectively, are
necessary to permit measured, flexible and timely responses in order to reduce and
defuse tensions. These arrangements must be exercised regularly in peacetime;
h. that the Alliance's defence posture must have the capability to address appropriately
and effectively the risks associated with the proliferation of NBC weapons and their
means of delivery, which also pose a potential threat to the Allies' populations,
territory, and forces. A balanced mix of forces, response capabilities and strengthened
defences is needed;
i. that the Alliance's forces and infrastructure must be protected against terrorist
attacks.
Characteristics of Conventional Forces
4. It is essential that the Allies' military forces have a credible ability to fulfil the full range of
Alliance missions. This requirement has implications for force structures, force and
equipment levels; readiness, availability, and sustainability; training and exercises;
deployment and employment options; and force build-up and mobilisation capabilities. The
aim should be to achieve an optimum balance between high readiness forces capable of
beginning rapidly, and immediately as necessary, collective defence or non-Article 5 crisis
response operations; forces at different levels of lower readiness to provide the bulk of
those required for collective defence, for rotation of forces to sustain crisis response
operations, or for further reinforcement of a particular region; and a longer-term build-up
and augmentation capability for the worst case -- but very remote -- scenario of large scale
operations for collective defence. A substantial proportion of Alliance forces will be capable
of performing more than one of these roles.
5. Alliance forces will be structured to reflect the multinational and joint nature of Alliance
missions. Essential tasks will include controlling, protecting, and defending territory;
ensuring the unimpeded use of sea, air, and land lines of communication; sea control and
protecting the deployment of the Alliance's sea-based deterrent; conducting independent
and combined air operations; ensuring a secure air environment and effective extended air
defence; surveillance, intelligence, reconnaissance and electronic warfare; strategic lift; and
providing effective and flexible command and control facilities, including deployable
combined and joint headquarters.
6. The Alliance's defence posture against the risks and potential threats of the proliferation of
NBC weapons and their means of delivery must continue to be improved, including
through work on missile defences. As NATO forces may be called upon to operate beyond
NATO's borders, capabilities for dealing with proliferation risks must be flexible, mobile,
rapidly deployable and sustainable. Doctrines, planning, and training and exercise policies
must also prepare the Alliance to deter and defend against the use of NBC weapons. The
aim in doing so will be to further reduce operational vulnerabilities of NATO military forces
while maintaining their flexibility and effectiveness despite the presence, threat or use of
NBC weapons.
7. Alliance strategy does not include a chemical or biological warfare capability. The Allies
support universal adherence to the relevant disarmament regimes. But, even if further
progress with respect to banning chemical and biological weapons can be achieved,
defensive precautions will remain essential.
8. Given reduced overall force levels and constrained resources, the ability to work closely
together will remain vital for achieving the Alliance's missions. The Alliance's collective
defence arrangements in which, for those concerned, the integrated military structure
plays the key role, are essential in this regard. The various strands of NATO's defence
planning need to be effectively coordinated at all levels in order to ensure the
preparedness of the forces and supporting structures to carry out the full spectrum of their
roles. Exchanges of information among the Allies about their force plans contribute to
securing the availability of the capabilities needed for the execution of these roles.
Consultations in case of important changes in national defence plans also remain of key
importance. Cooperation in the development of new operational concepts will be essential
for responding to evolving security challenges. The detailed practical arrangements that
have been developed as part of the ESDI within the Alliance contribute to close allied cooperation
without unnecessary duplication of assets and capabilities.
9. To be able to respond flexibly to possible contingencies and to permit the effective conduct
of Alliance missions, the Alliance requires sufficient logistics capabilities, including transport
capacities, medical support and stocks to deploy and sustain all types of forces effectively.
Standardisation will foster cooperation and cost-effectiveness in providing logistic support
to allied forces. Mounting and sustaining operations outside the Allies' territory, where
there may be little or no host-nation support, will pose special logistical challenges. The
ability to build-up larger, adequately equipped and trained forces, in a timely manner and
to a level able to fulfil the full range of Alliance missions, will also make an essential
contribution to crisis management and defence. This will include the ability to reinforce any
area at risk and to establish a multinational presence when and where this is needed.
Forces of various kinds and at various levels of readiness will be capable of flexible
employment in both intra-European and transatlantic reinforcement. This will require
control of lines of communication, and appropriate support and exercise arrangements.
0. The interaction between Alliance forces and the civil environment (both governmental and
non-governmental) in which they operate is crucial to the success of operations. Civilmilitary
cooperation is interdependent: military means are increasingly requested to assist
civil authorities; at the same time civil support to military operations is important for
logistics, communications, medical support, and public affairs. Cooperation between the
Alliance's military and civil bodies will accordingly remain essential.
1. The Alliance's ability to accomplish the full range of its missions will rely increasingly on
multinational forces, complementing national commitments to NATO for the Allies
concerned. Such forces, which are applicable to the full range of Alliance missions,
demonstrate the Alliance's resolve to maintain a credible collective defence; enhance
Alliance cohesion; and reinforce the transatlantic partnership and strengthen the ESDI
within the Alliance. Multinational forces, particularly those capable of deploying rapidly for
collective defence or for non-Article 5 crisis response operations, reinforce solidarity. They
can also provide a way of deploying more capable formations than might be available
purely nationally, thus helping to make more efficient use of scarce defence resources. This
may include a highly integrated, multinational approach to specific tasks and functions, an
approach which underlies the implementation of the CJTF concept. For peace support
operations, effective multinational formations and other arrangements involving Partners
will be valuable. In order to exploit fully the potential offered by multinational formations,
improving interoperability, inter alia through sufficient training and exercises, is of the
highest importance.
Characteristics of Nuclear Forces
2. The fundamental purpose of the nuclear forces of the Allies is political: to preserve peace
and prevent coercion and any kind of war. They will continue to fulfil an essential role by
ensuring uncertainty in the mind of any aggressor about the nature of the Allies' response
to military aggression. They demonstrate that aggression of any kind is not a rational
option. The supreme guarantee of the security of the Allies is provided by the strategic
nuclear forces of the Alliance, particularly those of the United States; the independent
nuclear forces of the United Kingdom and France, which have a deterrent role of their own,
contribute to the overall deterrence and security of the Allies.
3. A credible Alliance nuclear posture and the demonstration of Alliance solidarity and
common commitment to war prevention continue to require widespread participation by
European Allies involved in collective defence planning in nuclear roles, in peacetime
basing of nuclear forces on their territory and in command, control and consultation
arrangements. Nuclear forces based in Europe and committed to NATO provide an
essential political and military link between the European and the North American
members of the Alliance. The Alliance will therefore maintain adequate nuclear forces in
Europe. These forces need to have the necessary characteristics and appropriate flexibility
and survivability, to be perceived as a credible and effective element of the Allies' strategy
in preventing war. They will be maintained at the minimum level sufficient to preserve
peace and stability.
4. The Allies concerned consider that, with the radical changes in the security situation,
including reduced conventional force levels in Europe and increased reaction times, NATO's
ability to defuse a crisis through diplomatic and other means or, should it be necessary, to
mount a successful conventional defence has significantly improved. The circumstances in
which any use of nuclear weapons might have to be contemplated by them are therefore
extremely remote. Since 1991, therefore, the Allies have taken a series of steps which
reflect the post-Cold War security environment. These include a dramatic reduction of the
types and numbers of NATO's sub-strategic forces including the elimination of all nuclear
artillery and ground-launched short-range nuclear missiles; a significant relaxation of the
readiness criteria for nuclear-roled forces; and the termination of standing peacetime
nuclear contingency plans. NATO's nuclear forces no longer target any country.
Nonetheless, NATO will maintain, at the minimum level consistent with the prevailing
security environment, adequate sub-strategic forces based in Europe which will provide an
essential link with strategic nuclear forces, reinforcing the transatlantic link. These will
consist of dual capable aircraft and a small number of United Kingdom Trident warheads.
Sub-strategic nuclear weapons will, however, not be deployed in normal circumstances on
surface vessels and attack submarines.
Part V - Conclusion
5. As the North Atlantic Alliance enters its sixth decade, it must be ready to meet the
challenges and opportunities of a new century. The Strategic Concept reaffirms the
enduring purpose of the Alliance and sets out its fundamental security tasks. It enables a
transformed NATO to contribute to the evolving security environment, supporting security
and stability with the strength of its shared commitment to democracy and the peaceful
resolution of disputes. The Strategic Concept will govern the Alliance's security and defence
policy, its operational concepts, its conventional and nuclear force posture and its collective
defence arrangements, and will be kept under review in the light of the evolving security
environment. In an uncertain world the need for effective defence remains, but in
reaffirming this commitment the Alliance will also continue making full use of every
opportunity to help build an undivided continent by promoting and fostering the vision of a
Europe whole and free.