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Briefing: Improving capabilities to meet new threats 9. NATO Response Force The NRF includes land and maritime components Contents   1. Introduction   2. Multinational CBRN defence battalion  3. Missile defence  4. Defence Capabilities Initiative  5. Implementing the Prague capabilities package  6. From Prague to Istanbul  7. Alliance Ground Surveillance  8. Strategic lift  9. NATO Response Force  10. New NATO command structure  11. Cooperation with Partners Editorial Note   Important publisher and editorial information about this document Other Formats English PDF (~929Kb) Printable version with colour illustrations Order a hardcopy version using the online order form. The NATO Response Force (NRF) is a rapidly deployable multinational unit made up of land, air, maritime and special forces components. Numbering over 20,000 troops when it reaches its full operational capability in October 2006, it will be able to start to deploy after five days' notice and sustain itself for operations lasting 30 days or longer if resupplied. The NRF will be able to deploy worldwide, as and when decided by the North Atlantic Council. Possible missions range from non-combatant evacuation missions to combat operations. In addition to evacuation, these include humanitarian and crisis response missions, including peacekeeping, counterterrorism, and embargo operations. NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer explains: "The NRF will not only give us a highly capable quick reaction force that is ready for operational deployment wherever required; it is also meant as a catalyst for continuing improvements in Allied forces - and sustaining interoperability across the Atlantic." When it reaches its full operational capability, the NRF will consist of a brigade-size land component with a forced-entry capability, a naval task force composed of one carrier battle group, an amphibious task group and a surface action group, an air component capable of 200 combat sorties a day, and a special forces component. The NRF, which is driven by the underlying principle: "first force in, first force out", has different missions: As a stand-alone force for Article 5 collective defence or non-Article 5 crisis response operations, such as evacuation operations, disaster consequence management (including chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear events), and support in a humanitarian crisis situation and counterterrorism operations; An initial entry force facilitating the arrival of larger follow-on forces; To show NATO determination and solidarity to deter crises (quick response operations to support diplomacy as required). Combat support and combat service support capabilities will be integral parts of the NRF. These include nuclear, biological and chemical defence and medical units, as well as supporting air and naval units, logistics, communications, intelligence and whatever else is required to make it a credible and capable fighting force. The NRF prototype numbering 9,500 troops was officially inaugurated on 15 October 2003 at the headquarters of Joint Force Command in Brunssum, the Netherlands (AFNORTH). The NRF achieved an initial operational capability in October 2004, with some 17,000 troops, and will grow to 24,000 when it reaches its full operational capability by October 2006.

© NATO - OTAN 2004 -	NATO Public Diplomacy Division, 1110 Brussels, Belgium, web site: www.nato.int e-mail: natodoc@hq.nato.int