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Military transformation focus
of NATO defence symposium
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“ NATO in Transformation - Changes and Challenges” was
the theme for the 2004 NATO Defence Planning Symposium at the NATO School
in Oberammergau, Germany, 15 January 2004.
The symposium is an annual event, which examines key concepts and
issues relevant to NATO’s defence planning process. This year,
John Colston, the Assistant NATO Secretary General for Defence Policy
and Planning welcomed more than 180 high-ranking officers and officials
from NATO and the seven countries invited to join the Alliance.
Amongst the keynote speakers were Professor Ioan Mircea Pascu, the
Minister of Defence of Romania and Admiral Edmund Giambastiani, NATO’s
Supreme Allied Commander Transformation.
The seminar focused on the challenges of transformation, as a strategic
opportunity for the Alliance. The aim is improved forces capable of
rapid deployment to take on the full range of military missions. The
changes involved will be significant, culturally, intellectually, and
will result in a stronger, more powerful Alliance, equipped with the
right capabilities to deal with the challenges of the 21st century.
This transformation involves a complex and multidimensional defence
planning process, which was the main focus of the conference. Decreasing
defence budgets and nationally focused programmes often challenge and
contest what the Alliance agreed to collectively. NATO’s collective
requirements and shortfalls have been identified and addressed through
the Prague Capabilities Commitment initiative, launched at the 2002
Prague Summit, and through the establishment of the NATO Response Force.
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