NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

The Connected Forces Initiative

After 2014, NATO is expected to shift its emphasis from operational engagement to operational preparedness. This means NATO will need to remain capable of performing its core tasks - described in its Strategic Concept¹ - and of maintaining its forces at a high level of readiness. To help achieve this, Allied leaders have set out the goal of ‘NATO Forces 2020’: modern, tightly connected forces that are properly equipped, trained, exercised and led. The Connected Forces Initiative (CFI) will help maintain NATO’s readiness and combat effectiveness through expanded education and training, increased exercises and the better use of technology.

• The fundamental elements of CFI

  Expanded education and training is focused on individuals or small groups and aims to concentrate on key requirements, harmonise current efforts and address any gaps. NATO will capitalise collectively on the individual training efforts of Allies, and identify areas for collaboration and potential synergies. It will also provide training for NATO-specific capabilities and any necessary overarching collective training so that Allies can come together and be ready for any eventuality.

  Increased exercises provide an essential means for forces to practise tactics, techniques and procedures, promote and gauge interoperability, validate training and, when required, certify headquarters, units and formations. Exercises should cover the full spectrum of intensity, promote interoperability and also compensate for the reduced operational experience of forces working together. NATO will build a robust exercise and training programme that will underpin the Alliance’s interoperability in the future. High-intensity, large-scale exercises will provide the demanding scenarios necessary for NATO to retain its “fighting edge”. On 21 February 2013, defence ministers agreed that the Alliance should hold a major live exercise in 2015, and draw up a comprehensive programme of training and exercises for the period 2015-2020.

  Better use of technology offers a key means to facilitate the ability of Allied and partner forces to work together. This supports and enhances connectivity and interoperability of equipment and systems, but also capitalises on modern technologies and capabilities to assist in training, educating, exercising, deploying and sustaining the forces. Federated, modern simulators will enable Allies to train together while remaining in their peacetime locations – reducing expenditure but at the same time providing the necessary interaction between diverse forces.

• NATO Response Force

  The NATO Response Force (NRF) is a high-readiness, technologically advanced multinational force made up of land, air, maritime and Special Forces components that the Alliance can deploy rapidly if needed. The NRF comprises a joint force of about 13 000 high-readiness troops provided by Allies and is based on a rotational system; nations commit forces units for a six-month period.

  Under the Connected Forces Initiative, defence ministers agreed at their meeting on 21 February 2013 that the NRF will become even more important post-ISAF and provide a vehicle both to demonstrate operational readiness and to serve as a “test bed” for Alliance transformation.  NRF exercises will strike a balance between these two objectives.

  The NRF will support NATO’s shift from operational engagement to operational preparedness.  It provides a collective approach with a ready, integrated, deployable, effective and efficient military response, through which to show Alliance resolve, solidarity and commitment.

  The NRF is a vehicle which can be built upon to address the three main CFI elements.

• Special Operations Forces

  Finally, enhancing Special Operations Forces will support this initiative. NATO’s new Special Operations Forces Headquarters has a vital role in planning and coordinating missions and in improving the cooperation and connectivity between Special Operations Forces.