Press
Release
(2003) 066}
12 June 2003 |
Statement
on Capabilities
Issued at the Meeting of the North Atlantic
Council
in Defence Ministers Session held in Brussels
- We are determined to strengthen our defence capabilities,
as demanded by current and future threats and challenges
to our security
and to Euro-Atlantic stability. Our forces and defence structures
must be flexible enough to respond quickly and effectively
to these threats
and challenges. The Prague Summit approved a blueprint for
the transformation of NATO capabilities based on three pillars:
the NATO Response Force,
new command arrangements, and the Prague Capabilities Commitment.
We took stock of progress since Prague and gave instructions
for further work.
- The NATO Response Force (NRF) is an essential element
of our overall transformation. We approved the comprehensive
concept for the NRF commissioned
at Prague. It consists of a military concept and guidance
for handling political-military issues, including the developing
relationship between
the NRF and the related work of the EU Headline Goal, which
must be mutually reinforcing while respecting the autonomy
of both organisations. The NRF
will meet our requirement for a highly capable joint multinational
force consisting of land, sea and air elements able to react
in a very short
time. Its roles could include deployment as a show of force
and solidarity to deter aggression; as a stand-alone force
for Article 5 or non-Article
5 operations; and as an initial entry force for a larger
formation. The NRF will also be a catalyst for focussing
and promoting improvements in
the Alliance’s overall military capabilities as nations
prepare their contingents to meet the rigorous standards
of participation to be
developed. We confirmed that the force will have its Initial
Operational Capability as soon as possible but not later
than October 2004, and its
Full Operational Capability not later than October 2006.
We look forward to receiving the NATO Military Authorities’ Implementation
Plan and advice on the possibility of establishing some early
capability before
the end of this year.
- The second pillar consists of new streamlined command
arrangements for NATO. We therefore endorsed the final report
of the Senior Officials
Group setting out the details of a new NATO Command Structure.
It will be leaner, more flexible, more efficient, and better
able to conduct future
military operations. At the strategic level, there will
be only one command with operational responsibilities, and
a new functional command, Allied
Command Transformation, to take responsibility for promoting
and overseeing the continuing transformation of Alliance
forces and capabilities. Below
the strategic level, the structure will be significantly
streamlined, with a reduction in the number of headquarters.
Achieving rapid implementation
of the new structure is essential to assure continuity
of command arrangements and the effective development and
operation of the Alliance in the future.
- The third pillar is the Prague Capabilities Commitment
(PCC). We have reviewed the implementation of the PCC national
commitments and the multinational
initiatives in the light of the updated information provided
by the Allies. There has been significant progress. We are
encouraged by nations’ efforts to incorporate their
commitments into national plans and their willingness to
provide necessary funding. We are also encouraged by progress
in some of the important multinational projects agreed at
Prague, notably
the work on strategic sealift, strategic airlift and air-to-air
refuelling, and welcome the signing of letters of intent
for strategic sea-lift and
air-lift, which took place today. But we are conscious
too that much remains to be done. It is clear that additional
energy and, in some cases, subject
to affordability, resources will be necessary if we are
to provide all the defence capabilities we need. More focus
will also be needed on the
possibilities of multinational role sharing and role specialisation.
We emphasise the importance of those capabilities that can
improve the effectiveness
and interoperability of our forces. We will continue to
give our close personal attention to the implementation of
the PCC and direct the Council
in Permanent Session to report to us on the status of both
the national and multinational efforts at our next meeting.
- We welcome the agreement reached with the European Union
on ways to ensure coherent, transparent and mutually reinforcing
development of the
capability requirements common to the two organisations.
One immediate result is the establishment of the NATO-EU
Capability Group. We remain
determined that our various efforts to improve capabilities,
including through the PCC and the efforts of the European
Union to enhance capabilities
through the European Capabilities Action Plan, will be
based on this agreement and on reciprocity, while respecting
the autonomy of both organisations
and in a spirit of openness. The Capability Group must
play a central role in bringing this about.
- Work on the five nuclear, biological and chemical weapons
defence initiatives agreed at Prague has been very promising.
Prototypes of a
NATO Event Response Team and an Alliance Deployable NBC Laboratory
are undergoing assessment during demanding field exercises.
The other three
initiatives – a NATO Biological and Chemical Defence
Stockpile, a Disease Surveillance system, and a Centre of
Excellence for NBC Weapons
Defence – are well advanced. We welcomed the recent
Council decision to task the NATO Military Authorities to
develop a concept for a NATO
multinational CBRN defence battalion capability and to pursue
work on other NBC defence capabilities. We are confident
that this decision, taken
forward in a consistent and complementary way with other
related capability improvements, will contribute to a further
strengthening of our NBC response
capabilities.
- At the Prague Summit, the Heads of State and Government
agreed to examine options for protecting Alliance territory,
forces and population
centres against the full range of missile threats in an
effective and efficient way through an appropriate mix of
political and defence efforts,
along with deterrence; in particular they agreed to initiate
a new NATO missile defence feasibility study. Excellent progress
has been made, and
we are confident that the new study will be under contract
by October 2003. Our efforts in this regard will be consistent
with the indivisibility
of Allied security. We also welcome the completion of the
feasibility studies for an Active Layered Theatre Ballistic
Missile Defence.
- NATO’s military common funding should support
the transformation of NATO as decided at the Summit of Prague.
To that end, we have directed
the Military Committee to lead a prioritisation of requirements
in accordance with Alliance strategic objectives, and to
report the results to Council.
We have also invited the Council to oversee the Senior
Resource Board review of the eligibility criteria for military
common funding to ensure
that processes are consistent with the needs of a transformed
Alliance. We look forward to being informed about both initiatives
at our next meeting
in December.
- NATO agencies have an important role in promoting interoperability
and in helping to meet Allies’ requirements in a number
of fields, including the production and maintenance of equipment
and logistics. A
review of the agencies was one of the measures agreed at
the Prague Summit to improve NATO’s efficiency and
effectiveness. We noted the interim report by the Deputy
Secretary General.
Work on this should continue,
and the results should be reported to Ministers in December
after consideration by the NAC.
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