8 May 2003

Armaments directors take stock of NATO’s transformation Representatives of the 19 NATO countries responsible for armaments cooperation reviewed progress on key projects at the Conference of National Armaments Directors (CNAD) at NATO, 8-9 May 2003. The first meeting in 2003 of the biannual CNAD focused on projects to enhance the Alliance’s operational capabilities. The directors reviewed the status of work on the defence against terrorism, the Prague Capabilities Commitment, theatre missile defence and the Alliance ground surveillance system. Each of these projects is an essential component of NATO’s ongoing effort to equip itself with the capabilities necessary to fully meet today’s new security threats and challenges. The meeting aimed to review progress in these areas ahead of meetings of NATO Foreign and Defence Ministers scheduled for June. In his address to the conference, NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson emphasized the importance of armaments cooperation to NATO’s transformation to meet new security threats. He said that the timely implementation of CNAD projects, and notably the ground surveillance programme, is essential for the launch of new initiatives, such as NATO’s Rapid Reaction Force. The meeting was also addressed by Admiral Ian Forbes, Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic, the top military official responsible for NATO’s military transformation. He presented his vision for this transformation, emphasizing in particular the need for joint long-term planning. The CNAD is the senior NATO committee responsible for armaments cooperation, materiel standardisation and defence procurement matters. It is at the head of an extensive sub-structure of specialist committees and reports directly to the North Atlantic Council - NATO's senior decision-making body. Additional information: Background: Conference of National Armaments Directors (CNAD)