atlantic voices vol 5, no. 02 (february 2015)

ATLANTIC TREATY ASSOCIATION

Atlantic Voices, Volume 5, Issue 2 1

- Flora Pidoux

On February 5th, 2015 the Defence

Ministers met at NATO Headquarters to

coordinate and reinforce the Alliance’s

collective defense. The meeting took

place as a response to threats building in

Europe’s Southern and Eastern flanks are

vulnerable. The results were a

reinforcement of the Response Force by

creating the Spearhead force, renewed

support to Georgia’s mil i tary

modernization, and the creation of six

units that will be deployed to Bulgaria,

Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Romania and

Poland. Secretary General Jens

Stoltenberg declared that those measures

were to “ensure that we have the right

forces, in the right place, at the right

time.”

This is a new step that reinforces what

has been put in place at the Wales Summit

in September 2014, namely the Readiness

Action Plan. NATO seems to be

constantly readapting its defence

capabilities in order to fight the threats

that emerge in our ever-changing security

environment.

Meeting of NATO Ministers of Defence at NATO Headquarters, February 5th 2015 (Photo: NATO)

NATO’s Readiness Action Plan

Volume 5 - Issue 2 February 2015

Contents:

NATO Missions And Operations: Response To The Crises

Tamta Lomtadze’s article offers an overview of the various commitments NATO has

held since the end of the Cold War. From operation in the Balkans, Libya and Afghani-

stan to supporting regional organizations and fighting maritime piracy, the Alliance is

involved in a wide range of activities to defend its members’ interests. NATO has be-

come a key actor in terms of crisis management.

NATO’s New Readiness Action Plan: Allied Response To

Hybrid Warfare

Nicholas A. Glavin examines NATO’s response to the changing political environment

of the Alliance. NATO is forced to re-imagine its initial purpose: defending the terri-

torial integrity of all 28 Allies. To this end, the RAP and its Spearhead component, the

Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF), reaffirms the Alliance’s commitment to

collective defense as threats become more hybrid in nature and yield unprecedented

consequences.


landscape by assuming diverse global responsibilities.

Starting from the beginning of the 1990s, NATO en-

gaged in a major shift by adopting a new spectrum of

global missions. The rationale was that the European

members of NATO would assist Washington in “going

global”, as peacekeeping on a global scale was the obvi-

ous post-Cold War mission the Alliance had to assert.

Since then NATO has showcased not only institutional

capabilities and persistence but has also became an effi-

cient contributor to the peace and stability of the

world.

Currently NATO is pursuing

several missions and opera-

tions, including Resolute Sup-

port in Afghanistan, KFOR in

Kosovo, Operation Active En-

deavour in the Mediterranean,

counter-piracy operations in-

cluding Ocean Shield in the

Gulf of Aden, and assistance to

the African Union.

Operations in the Balkans

The very first severe security crisis that tested the

endurance of the Alliance almost immediately after the

disappearance of the USSR emerged in Europe, when

the full-scale conflict broke out in the Balkans after the

partition of Yugoslavia. The first major crisis response

operation conducted by NATO was in Bosnia and Her-

zegovina, based on the mandate described in the Day-

ton Peace Agreement. The NATO-led stabilization

By Tamta Lomtadze

T he last decade of the 20th century was

marked by dramatic changes, which

resulted in the transformation of the

international system. The demise of the Soviet Union

and collapse of communism across Central and East-

ern Europe led the international community into a

new era where international or even global problems

prevail. During the Cold War, the North Atlantic

Treaty Organization was at the heart of the bipolar

competition between the West and the Soviet bloc.

The Alliance had been created around the idea of col-

lective defence, a principle which

was expected to triumph against

the Warsaw Pact, the defence

alliance of the communist bloc. It

is commonly believed that collec-

tive defense was the basis that

held the alliance together. Since

the end of the Cold War interna-

tional security issues have gained

a new dimension as the bipolar competition was put

to an end. Dissolution of the Soviet Union precondi-

tioned the modification of the military balance in Eu-

rope and the security system was dramatically and

unexpectedly altered.

Many scholars and policy makers had predicted

that because of the disappearance of the USSR and the

new world order, NATO would become outdated

and irrelevant as its raison d’être had vanished.

On the other hand, others considered that NATO

had to be persistent and adapt to the new security

NATO Missions And Operations: Response To The Crises

Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg visits KFOR, January

2015 (Photo: NATO)


force (SFOR) operation was completed in 2004. Howev-

er, the Alliance did not end its presence in the region.

Since 1999 NATO has been a leading peace supporter in

Kosovo and today almost 5.000 troops remain under the

NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR). KFOR continues to

maintain a safe and secure environment, freedom of

movement of people, and contributes to the reconstruc-

tion of the country, maintenance of the security and pub-

lic order. As it can be observed, since the beginning of

the crisis NATO was the major force that contributed to

the settlement of the situation

NATO Missions in Afghanistan

September 11, 2001 was another landmark security

challenge that required enhanced

and coordinated actions against the

new security threats. The princi-

ple of collective defense enshrined

in Article V of the North Atlantic

Treaty entered into force for the

very first time in the history of the

Alliance. The threat that was tar-

geted against a single member of

the Alliance was perceived as a

threat to NATO as a whole. Since then combating terror-

ism has been one of the most fundamental security issues

on the international agenda and the top priority of the

Alliance.

Deployed in 2001 in Afghanistan, International Securi-

ty Assistance Force (ISAF) had been authorized by the

United Nations Security Council to assist the new Afghan

government. In 2003, NATO officially assumed the com-

mand of ISAF as its first operational commitment outside

Europe. The central goal of the mission remained to sta-

bilize and rebuild Afghanistan, create conditions whereby

the Afghan government would be able to exercise its au-

thority throughout the country and more broadly, create

the necessary security environment to improve govern-

ance and socio-economic development. By the end of

2014, Afghan National Security Forces assumed full

responsibility for the country and people and conse-

quently, the ISAF mission was put to an end. Accord-

ing to official data of 2014, 15.000 troops from 50 dif-

ferent countries (NATO members and partners) were

deployed. During the Wales summit in 2014 the

member countries agreed to continue their commit-

ment to secure and improve the security environment

in the country. Nevertheless, before the end of the

mission it was highly and heatedly debated whether to

depart the U.S. and NATO forces from Afghanistan.

As some scholars and policy-makers argued, there have

been many reasons to worry

after the withdrawal of forces.

The country remains more or

less fragile and the Taliban still

threaten certain areas of Af-

ghanistan. In addition, endemic

corruption and weak political

institutions hinder the establish-

ment of a secure environment.

Moreover, building the coun-

try’s security forces to the point where they can oper-

ate independently still requires time. For some policy-

makers and policy analysts, leaving Afghanistan also

means the loss of hard-won gains after a twelve-year

campaign.

Despite the concerns expressed by scholars and pol-

icy-makers, ISAF was officially terminated at the end of

2014. Subsequently, a “new chapter” was opened

through a new mission, Resolute Support, launched on

January, 1st 2015, that will bring together 12.000 per-

sonnel from 14 countries to train the local forces. The

basis of the mission is the Status of Forces Agreement

(SOFA) that defines the terms and conditions under

The flag of the International Security Assistance Force

(ISAF) mission has been brought back from Kabul

(Afghanistan) to NATO headquarters in Brussels (Belgium),

on 15 January 2015 (Photo: NATO)


overall assessment is positive. First, NATO proved to

be efficient in combating international terrorism and

implementing peace. Second, it gave the floor to the

aspirant countries to turn from international security

consumer to international security contributor. Moreo-

ver, due to the scale and scope of the mission, Afghani-

stan hugely benefited from the mission presence in

terms of development as the National Army and Police

now contribute to the country’s security environment.

NATO Operation in Libya

In 2011, the NATO-led op-

eration in Libya brought up inter-

national controversy on the legiti-

macy of the engagement of the Al-

liance in the conflict as well as on

the issue of humanitarian interven-

tion as a whole. The case of Libya

highlighted the internal fragility of

the Alliance regarding the pre-

sumption of legitimacy and prefer-

ences of the member states. NATO’s operation Unified

Protector sourced much of the international criticism

as it outlined the lack of consensus within the Euro-

Atlantic Alliance. However, the scale of the regional

and global security threats outweighed the internal in-

stitutional impediments and NATO intervened in the

Libyan conflict. The involvement of the Alliance in Lib-

ya demonstrated that intervention was essential and

that NATO remains an essential source of stability

thanks to its political cohesion and shared capabilities.

More importantly, this was a truly collective effort.

France and Britain played an extraordinary part in the

operation, providing air and naval assets and striking

over 40 percent of all targets. Italy too made an out-

standing contribution to the operation. Not only was it

the fourth largest contributor to the strike mission, it

which NATO forces will be deployed in Afghanistan

as well as the activities that they are set to carry out

under this agreement, as part of Resolute Support.

Resolute Support will focus on training, advising, and

assisting Afghan Security Institutions (ASI) (Ministry

of Defense and Ministry of Interior) and Afghan Na-

tional Security Forces (ANSF) at the ministerial, insti-

tutional, and operational levels. Beyond that, allies

and partner countries are committed to ensure the

financial sustainability of the Afghan security forces.

Notwithstanding the existing

institutional drawbacks and inter-

national debates regarding the

internal stability of Afghanistan,

the whole responsibility for the

security environment on the

country is left to the Afghan Army

and Police. Created in 2002 the

Afghan National Army has grown

to more than 189.000 personnel

with developing and enabling capabilities. In 2007,

the Afghan Air Force was created as a part of Afghan

National Army, which was considered a substantial

advancement. The airlift and air power, in combina-

tion with the helicopter gunship, are essential ele-

ments of the Afghan counter-insurgency. Close air

support and fixed-wing capability will allow Afghan

security forces to conduct independent operations.

Additionally, the major function of the Afghan Na-

tional Police (ANP) was shifted from countering in-

surgency to a more civilian policing role.

The operation evolved out of NATO’s immediate

response to the terrorist attacks against the United

States of America that appeared as a turning-point in

21st century international security politics. ISAF was

accompanied by international controversy; however,

NATO’s Senior Civilian Representative to Afghanistan,

Ambassador Maurits R. Jochems and Afghan President

Ashraf Ghani signing the Status of Forces Agreement

(SOFA) in Kabul, September 30, 2014 (Photo: NATO)


US-led maritime forces, EU naval forces and other re-

gional actors. Since 2009 NATO warships and aircraft

have been patrolling across the area greater than 2 mil-

lion square miles, including the areas off the Horn of

Africa (the Gulf of Aden and the Western Indian

Ocean up to the Strait of Hormuz). NATO vessels

conduct intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance

missions. The mandate of the Ocean Shield operation

has been prolonged till the end of 2016.

The official data showcases the efficiency of NATO

as an active contributor to international efforts to

counter maritime piracy. For instance, in January 2012

there were four unsuccessful pirate attacks and almost

80 pirates were captured by counter piracy forces, 59

of which were captured by NATO. In 2013 there

were no pirate attacks, approaches or disruptions in

the area guarded by NATO ships.

Conclusion

It can be assumed that since the end of the Cold

War NATO has been evolving in a dramatically new

security environment. The Alliance therefore had to

adapt, alter its policies to assume its global responsibili-

ties. Notwithstanding the dissolution of the Soviet Un-

ion and disappearance of the major threat, NATO had

to remain politically coherent and militarily efficient to

assert its peacekeeping mission. As past and ongoing

missions showcase it, the Alliance is one of the major

contributors to the peace and stability of many regions.

Yet some internal impediments and political entangle-

ments remain, which put the Alliance into a fragile

position on various security issues. However, NATO

still maintains relative strength and institutional persis-

tence. It still remains the most enduring military Alli-

ance in history, as illustrated by its many successful

missions.

was an indispensable host to the hundreds of aircrafts at

its airbases. The Alliance responded rapidly to a deterio-

rating situation that threatened hundreds of thousands of

civilians rebelling against an oppressive regime. It suc-

ceeded in protecting those civilians and in providing the

time and space necessary for local forces to overthrow

Muammar al-Qaddafi.

NATO and the African Union

NATO has also put in place the Assistance operation

to the African Union (AU). It was the Alliance’s first ef-

fort on the African continent, as decided by the North

Atlantic Council. This mission was launched in 2005 at

the request of the African Union itself. The former, es-

tablished in 2002, is one of the largest regional organiza-

tions in the world as it brings 54 countries together. The

AU first asked NATO for assistance to their mission in

Darfur, African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS), soon

after its establishment. The mission was terminated in

2007 when AMIS was successfully completed. Currently

NATO is providing planning and strategic air-lift and

sealift, to develop long-term peacekeeping capabilities of

the AU mission in Somalia (AMISOM). Plus, under Op-

eration Active Endeavour, NATO ships are patrolling in

the Mediterranean and monitoring shipping to help to

deter, defend, disrupt and protect against terrorist activi-

ties.

NATO and Counter Piracy

NATO has been an efficient international actor in

terms of fighting against maritime piracy, particularly

Somalia-based maritime piracy and acts of robbery within

the territorial waters of Somalia. In this regard, NATO

has launched operation Ocean Shield in full accordance

with the relevant United Nations Security Council Reso-

lutions concerning Somali-based maritime piracy. The

operation has been conducted in close cooperation with


Needless to say, NATO asserted its “global” re-

sponsibilities and diversified it policies towards

regional and non-regional threats to bring stability

to various areas of the world. Overall, NATO was

and still is a central peacekeeper in Afghanistan,

provided logistical assistance to the African Union

and launched a mission as part of the international

effort against maritime piracy. One must admit

that due to its diversified, effective and efficient

presence, cooperation with NATO also became

attractive for many countries particularly from the

former communist and Soviet bloc. Aligning with

the Alliance in different operations allowed them

to prove they are “security providers” and promot-

ers of values such as democracy, human rights, or

the rule of law.

Tamta Lomtadze is a graduate student at Tbilisi

State university, MA in Diplomacy and Interna-

tional Politics. Simultaneously, she works at Geor-

gia’s Reforms Associates (GRASS), a think-tank

focusing on foreign policy, security policy, Euro-

Atlantic Integration etc. She has graduated from

Tbilisi State University, BA International Relations

and as an exchange student studied at Vilnius Uni-

versity, Institute of International Relations and

Political Science. Her previous experience includes

internships/traineeships at Information Center on

NATO in Tbilisi Georgia and Foreign Relations

Committee of the Parliament of Georgia.

Interviews:

A Conversation with Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO is Back, Foreign Affairs, March 21, 2014 http://www.foreignaffairs.com/discussions/interviews/nato-is-back

If there are no U.S. or NATO troops in Af-

ghanistan after 2014, what happens? An interview with Janine Davidson, Senior Fellow for Defense Poli-cy, Council on Foreign Relations, February 3, 2014 http://www.cfr.org/afghanistan/if-there-no-us-nato-troops-afghanistan-after-2014-happens/p32320

Websites and articles:

Developing Afghan security forces, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_92726.htm

Ivo H. Daadler, James G. Starvidis, NATO’s Vic-tory in Lybia, The right Way to Run Intervention, Fireign Affairs, March/April Issue, 2012

Ivo H. Daadler, James G. Starvidis, NATO’s Suc-cess in Lybia, The New York Times, October 30, 2011 NATO Ends Combat Operations in Afghanistan, The Guardian, December 28, 2014, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/28/nato-ends-afghanistan-combat-operations-after-13-years

North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Background-ers, Council on Foreign Relations, http://www.cfr.org/nato/north-atlantic-treaty-organization-nato/p28287

Official webpage of North Atlantic Treaty Associa-tion Maritime Command (MARCOM): http://www.mc.nato.int/ops/Pages/OOS.aspx

Official webpage of Operation Resolute Support, http://www.rs.nato.int/

Official webpage of North Atlantic Treaty Associa-tion: http://nato.int/

http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_49198.htm




About the author

Bibliography


By Nicholas A. Glavin

C onflicts at the peripheries of the Alli-

ance, most notably the Russian Federa-

tion’s use of hybrid warfare in eastern

Ukraine and the Syrian Civil War’s regional spillover,

inaugurate a new security environment for NATO to

operate. Jens Stoltenberg, NATO’s Secretary Gen-

eral, inherited both conflicts occurring simultaneously

which, if left unchecked, could spell unfathomable

consequences for the Alliance. The Russian Federa-

tion had annexed a portion of

Ukraine, a previously non-

aligned state, and militants

from the so-called Islamic

State of Iraq and the Levant,

commonly referred to as ISIL

or Daesh, are fighting just

miles away from Turkey’s bor-

ders.

The Wales Summit proved to be a make-or-break

moment for the Alliance to effectively respond to

these grave threats. The dangers at Europe’s peripher-

ies prompted the launch of the Readiness Action Plan

(RAP), a commitment to increase military exercises,

reorganize the NATO Response Force (NRF), and

preposition logistical equipment in Central and East-

ern Europe, among other critical defensive measures.

“The Readiness Action Plan,” according to Secretary

General Stoltenberg, “is the biggest reinforcement of

our collective defense since the end of the Cold War.

And it is my top priority to implement this plan in full

and on time.” Through measures of assurance and

adaptation, NATO’s strategic and operational changes

are strengthening the Alliance for swift responses to

current and future threats to Euro-Atlantic security.

The evolution of the NATO Response Force began

at the Prague Summit in November 2002. Then-

Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR),

General James Jones (Ret.), argued that “NATO will

no longer have the large, massed units that were nec-

essary for the Cold War,” transitioning instead to

smaller, high-readiness forces “that will better pre-

pare the Alliance to meet any threat that it is likely to

face in this twenty-first century.” Nearly thirteen

years later, that initial assess-

ment is prompting NATO to

yet again adjust its force pos-

ture for collective defense,

crisis management, and co-

operative security.

Assurance: Air, Mari-

time, & Land

To reassure its eastern Allies,

NATO’s Readiness Action Plan provides increased

military activity to ensure interoperability and readi-

ness. With over 200 NATO and national exercises

conducted in Europe in 2014, bolstered by the United

States’ Operation Atlantic Resolve and its $985 mil-

lion European Reassurance Initiative, the continuous

air, maritime, and land military presence in NATO’s

eastern territories will continue for “as long as neces-

sary,” according to Secretary General Stoltenberg.

Defensive air patrols, naval deployments, and ground

force postures will occur on a rotational basis to reaf-

firm NATO’s commitment to an Article Five collec-

tive defense scenario.

Over the past year, relations between the West

and the Russian Federation continued to deteriorate

NATO’s New Readiness Action Plan: Allied Response To Hybrid Warfare

Chiefs of Defense discussed the RAP at the 172nd meeting of the

NATO Military Committee. (Photo: NATO)


to levels resembling those of the Cold War. Allied

aircraft intercepted Russian military aircraft on over

400 different occasions in 2014, including 150 inter-

cepts by NATO’s Baltic Air Policing (BAP) mission.

NATO swiftly quadrupled the size of the BAP from

four to sixteen fighter jets. Personnel from Italy, Po-

land, Spain, and Belgium serve as its current rotation-

al deployment.

NATO’s increase of its air policing patrols in the

Baltics are a response to flyovers by Russian aircraft,

sometimes without their transponders turned on,

which pose a risk to civilian aviation. With Russian

aircraft having been tracked near Canada, off the coast

of California, and in the Gulf of Mexico, the presence

of bombers, fighter jets, and tankers near NATO ter-

ritories have caused the Alliance to expand its air

presence as part of the RAP. In addition to a fourfold

increase to its BAP mission, NATO began surveillance

flights by Airborne Warning and

Control Systems (AWACS)

over Poland and Romania.

Strengthened maritime capa-

bilities in the Baltic, Black, and

Mediterranean Seas are also an

integral component of NATO

Maritime Command’s contribu-

tion to the RAP. Six countries

contribute to a Standing NATO Mine Counter-

Measures Group to patrol the Baltic Sea, while a

Standing NATO Maritime Group comprised of five

countries conducts similar patrols in the Eastern Med-

iterranean Sea. The Russian Federation’s annexation

of the Crimean Peninsula enhanced its Black Sea Fleet

already being stationed in the city of Sevastopol.

Moreover, the annexation severely disrupted the

Ukrainian Navy’s operations, impeding its maritime

operations and taking control of bases where the ma-

jority of the Ukrainian Navy were garrisoned.

In response, NATO ramped up the frequency of

scheduled port visits and multinational exercises to

strengthen interoperability and reaffirm its commit-

ment to crisis response capabilities. One such exer-

cise, Noble Justification 14, simulated asymmetric

multi-threat and conventional maritime warfare oper-

ations with twenty-three warships from fourteen Al-

lies and two partner nations. The exercise also certi-

fied the Spanish Maritime Forces as the NRF’s mari-

time component for 2015. Stationed in Rota, Spain,

this provides the SACEUR with a high-readiness

NATO naval task force comprising of dozens of war-

ships. With NATO ships like the USS Donald Cook

recently buzzed by Russian fighter jets, the increase in

maritime interoperability provides NATO and the

NRF with steadfast capabilities amidst a new regional

security landscape. The Baltic Sea region will see an

increased frequency of NATO maritime exercises to

counter the destabilizing actions

of large numbers of sorties by

Russian maritime and air forces.

“[T]he reality of bad Russian

behavior in Europe...[poses]

serious security issues to face

with our NATO Allies,” ac-

cording to former SACEUR

Admiral James Stavridis (Ret.).

As an integral component of the

RAP, high-profile ground exercises will continue in

the eastern territories as NATO and partner-nation

troops will deploy on a rotational basis. Additionally,

bilateral deployments by NATO Allies, such as the

United States’ Operation Atlantic Resolve, will en-

hance training and exercises. Several company-sized

temporary deployments throughout NATO’s Central

and Eastern European territories will strengthen Al-

lied interoperability and conduct exercises against

hybrid threats.

A Russian Tupolev Tu-95 Bear strategic bomber intercepted

by a Norwegian F-16 fighter jet. (Photo: Reuters)


Adaptation: The ‘Spearhead Force’

The highlight of the Wales Summit included the deci-

sion to restructure the NATO Response Force with a new

rapid-reaction Very High Readiness Joint Task Force

(VJTF), commonly referred to as the “Spearhead Force.”

Able to deploy within several days’ notice, this will be an

elite force of several thousand ground troops partnered

with air, maritime, and Special Operations Forces. The

VJTF is expected to reach initial operational capability by

the fall of 2015, followed by its full

readiness in early 2016. Additionally,

it will augment NATO’s capabilities

to respond to a “little green men” sce-

nario, similar to what occurred in

Crimea in March 2014. Using troops

bearing no insignia, targeted disinfor-

mation campaigns, and under the

pretext of protecting ethnic Russians

abroad, these state-to-state hybrid techniques by the Rus-

sian Federation pose significant risks for NATO’s eastern

territories.

The Spearhead Force’s initial readiness will be about

seven days using prepositioned materiel. However, it will

“have an adjustable response that could go as low as two

days based on intelligence and warning,” according to

SACEUR General Philip Breedlove. NATO Force Inte-

gration Units will provide command and control (C2)

equipment and personnel teams in six of NATO’s eastern

territories. To bolster the RAP, NATO’s Multinational

Corps Northeast Headquarters in Szczecin, Poland ex-

pects to hold some of the VJTF’s C2 elements and will be

led by Denmark, Germany, and Poland. It is also dou-

bling its personnel levels from 200 to 400 to raise its

readiness capabilities.

On 2 December 2014, NATO foreign ministers ap-

proved an interim force to reassure its eastern Allies

ahead of the Spearhead Force’s full implementation. The

Interim VJTF is currently active and consists of the NRF

2015’s Land Component, integrating 3,000-4,000 troops

primarily from Germany, Norway, and the Nether-

lands. Additionally, the United Kingdom, France,

Spain, and Belgium, among others, will provide the

maritime and air capabilities. This Interim VJTF “is

proof we are implementing our RAP sooner than ex-

pected,” according to Secretary General Stoltenberg.

The swift implementation of the RAP showcases soli-

darity throughout the Alliance that NATO must re-

main vigilant to defend its territories as the crisis in

Syria deteriorates and as Mos-

cow supports pro-Russian sepa-

ratists in eastern Ukraine with

financing, training, and sophisti-

cated weaponry.

At the February 2015

meeting of NATO Defense

Ministers, the approximately

5,000-strong Spearhead Force

was approved and chosen to be led on a rotational basis

by France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the

United Kingdom. NATO expects the VJTF to be fund-

ed through a combination of NATO’s budget and con-

tributions from individual nations. Sharing the burden

financially is key for the Alliance to maintain unity.

The same is true from an operational perspective. The

United States will provide the initial capabilities, ac-

cording to SACEUR General Breedlove, but it will

“mentor, coach, and train other forces...[to] create

more capability,” ensuring the burden-sharing is Alli-

ance-wide.

Baltic Defense

Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, all staunch NATO

Allies since joining in 2004, face the greatest threat

from hybrid warfare. Lithuania, in particular, is posi-

tioned to the east of the Russian Federation’s Kalinin-

grad enclave and allows Russian military trains to trav-

el through its sovereign territory. Noticing the ripe

conditions for Moscow to mount a possible Crimea-

style incursion, Lithuania is already taking unilateral

Greek and Portuguese submarines taking part in NATO

Maritime Command’s Noble Justification 2014.

(Photo: NATO)


measures to defend against a hybrid infiltration. Its

armed forces have created a rapid-reaction force of

2,500 military personnel- over 25 percent of its entire

active duty forces- with the task of defending against

hybrid warfare. This will serve as a first line of de-

fense to be supplemented by NATO’s VJTF.

Furthermore, Lithuania’s contingency planning

does not stop there. The Ministry of Defence issued a

nearly 100-page manual enti-

tled “How to Act in Extreme

Situations or Instances of

War,” addressing the threats

posed by Moscow’s hybrid

warfare. Lithuania’s fears

stem not only from threats

outside of its national bor-

ders; after members of the

Lithuanian Armed Forces stationed at NATO’s

Zoknai Air Base were caught spying for a “foreign in-

telligence service,” Vilnius is worried that subversion

campaigns may seek to destabilize the Baltic States

just below an Article Five threshold. For these rea-

sons, the RAP provides the Alliance with the most

highly-capable identification, deterrence, and re-

sponse measures for this new era of conflict.

In the event of a territorial incursion, the Baltic

States are bolstering their own national capabilities to

fend off an attack until the VJTF deploys. Estonia

inked its biggest military procurement in the nation’s

history at a price tag of €138 million, acquiring 44

CV90 combat vehicles and six Leopard tanks. Latvia

purchased 123 combat vehicles from Britain and 800

anti-tank weapons from Norway, while Lithuania ac-

quired a GROM air defense system from Poland,

bringing the Baltic States’ total military spending to

€300 million in just the last six months of 2014. As

Estonian Prime Minister Taavi Rõivas stated, Russia’s

contribution to the deteriorating security situation in

Europe “is not just bad weather, this is climate

change.” Modern threats to NATO Europe are ensur-

ing that renewed calls for increased defense expendi-

tures are not falling on deaf ears.

NATO’s Strategic Communications Centre of Ex-

cellence located in Riga, Latvia, the Alliance’s first

institution dedicated to information warfare, has

warned that Russian media uses historical narratives

and Soviet nostalgia to exe-

cute Kremlin foreign policy

and appeal to Russian com-

munities. Russian President

Vladimir Putin has constantly

called for the protection of

ethnic Russians in the Near

Abroad to justify Moscow’s

actions, most notably in

Transnistria, South Ossetia, Abkhazia, and eastern

Ukraine. In Latvia, where roughly one-quarter of its

population speaks Russian, serious concerns arise as

Kremlin-backed media may target individuals to reso-

nate with Moscow’s narratives. To prepare for anoth-

er “Crimea-style” hybrid attack, unilateral measures

and the RAP are staying ahead of these contemporary

threats.

Conclusion

The restructuring of NATO’s Response Force

through the Readiness Action Plan’s adaptation and

assurance measures address a multitude of threats that

face the 28 Allies. Increased capabilities by land, air,

sea, and Special Operations Forces will identify, de-

ter, and respond to conventional, unconventional,

state, non-state, Article Five, and non-Article Five

crisis response scenarios. The RAP ensures NATO

can effectively address hybrid warfare’s fusion of con-

ventional, covert military, paramilitary, and disinfor-

mation campaigns from any adversary that seeks to

undermine Euro-Atlantic security.

Strykers from the US Army’s 2nd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Division

arrive in Lithuania. (Photo: Gražina Lukauskienė)


With conflicts becoming more decentralized, the Very

High Readiness Joint Task Force and the comprehensive

Readiness Action Plan provide NATO with a clear, multi-

faceted approach to address current and future challeng-

es. Alliance-wide strategic, operational, and financial con-

tributions will ensure this effort is “28 for 28.” As ISIL

and pro-Russian separatists demonstrate, non-state actors

possessing capabilities traditionally reserved for states

must be dealt with strategic and operational prowess. In

addition to Syria and Iraq, ISIL’s presence in Libya, just

325 miles from Sicily, pressures NATO to take the lead

on its territorial defense. New security situations at

NATO’s southern and eastern peripheries are testing the

Alliance’s abilities to re-imagine its commitments to Euro

-Atlantic security. The RAP is precisely what NATO re-

quires in order to maneuver through current and future

periods of global conflict and cooperation.

Nicholas A. Glavin assists civilian and military staff

with research at the United States Naval War College’s

Center on Irregular Warfare and Armed Groups. He is

currently supporting the implementation of an education-

al partnership program between the USNWC and Af-

ghanistan’s National Defense University. Prior to assum-

ing this role, Mr. Glavin worked for Capitol Hill and

local governments. He is completing a degree in Interna-

tional Relations (BA) from Roger Williams University in

Bristol, RI, USA. Mr. Glavin’s research focuses are

NATO operations, irregular warfare, and strengthening

civil-military relations. He tweets at: @nickglavin.

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