51.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.
52.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 nonNATO nations.
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
NATOled nonArticle 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 shortnotice 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 longterm 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.
