NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organization

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Rapid advances in biological science and technology continue to increase the bio-terrorism threat and there are indications that terrorists intend to acquire chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) materials for malicious purposes.

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The anthrax attacks in the United States in 2001 demonstrated the disruptive and destructive characteristics of biological agents.

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International transport of different chemical agents and radiological substances is a very sensitive matter and presents opportunities for terrorists.

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NATO's new Strategic Concept and the 2010 Lisbon Summit declaration confirmed the Alliance's commitment to further develop its capacity to defend against the threat of CBRN weapons of mass destruction and protect its populations, territory and forces.

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The Combined Joint CBRN Defence Task Force (CJ-CBRND-TF) is one of NATO’s key defences against CBRN attacks, and also plays a role in the prevention of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

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The CBRN Defence Task Force consists of the CBRN Battalion and the CBRN Joint Assessment Team, both of which are multi-national, multi-functional teams, able to deploy quickly to participate in the full spectrum of NATO operations.

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The CBRN Battalion is unique in that it can also be deployed to crisis situations such as natural disasters and industrial accidents, including those involving hazardous material.

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The CBRN Battalion may be used to provide military assistance to civil authorities when authorised by the North Atlantic Council, the Alliance's principal political decision-making body.

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Some 21 NATO countries contribute to the Combined Joint CBRN Defence Task Force on a voluntary basis. National commitments vary depending on the rotation, but there are usually between 8-10 nations involved per rotation.

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The CBRN Joint Assessment Team and CBRN Battalion fall under the strategic command of the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR).

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NATO's Allied Command Transformation provides evaluation standards, supports training and determines future NBC defence requirements and develops capabilities.

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Officially activated in July 2007, this multi-national JCBRN Defence Centre of Excellence provides advice related to all CBRN defence-related areas, develops CBRN defence doctrines and standards to help improve capabilities and interoperability, support collective training and joint exercises, and develops and disseminates lessons learned from operations, exercises and experiments.