The Chair of the NATO Military Committee attends the Paris Defence and Strategy Forum

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On 23-24 March 2026, the Chair of the NATO Military Committee (CMC), Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone attended the Paris Defence and Strategy Forum (PDSF), upon the invitation of the Académie de défense de l'École militaire (ACADEM). While in Paris, CMC met with military leaders from France and Denmark, country of honour at the PDSF 2026, and with the Secretary of National Defense of the Philippines.

The PDSF 2026 opened with remarks by the Minister of Defence of France, Ms Catherine Vautrin, and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of Denmark, Mr Troels Lund Poulsen: The Kingdom of Denmark was selected as the country of honour for this year’s edition.

During the Forum, Admiral Cavo Dragone engaged in discussions on a wide range of topics, starting with the High North: “The recent exercise Cold Response 26 in Norway is a living proof of our commitment to further enhance our military readiness in the region,” said CMC. Admiral Cavo Dragone also highlighted the exercise as one of the first major activities under Arctic Sentry, NATO's new enhanced Vigilance Activity in the Arctic and in the High North.

Intervening in a panel discussion on “Burden Shifting and Sharing”, with former NATO Secretary General, Mr. Anders Fogh Rasmussen, CMC explained that the strength of NATO has never been about symmetry, but about “solidarity, responsibility, and the ability to adapt.” Admiral Cavo Dragone added that the Alliance is going towards the right direction by building a stronger European pillar. From a military perspective, CMC recalled that the shift of Command responsibilities within NATO, with Europeans taking charge of traditionally US-led command, is just a first step in a profoundly changed international environment.

The topics covered during the Forum included the need to invest faster, smarter and together: from air missile and deference to the space and cyberspace domains. Panellists agreed that one of the challenges ahead is to rebuild a solid and resilient defence industrial base, capable of producing at scale, with lower prices: “In wartime economics, progress must become pace,” concluded Admiral Cavo Dragone.

At the margins of the PDSF, CMC had good talks with the Chief of Defence of France, General Fabien Mandon, and the Chief of Defence of Denmark, General Michael Wiggers Hyldgaard, looking forward to the next meeting of the NATO Military Committee Conference in Copenhagen later this year.

Finally, Admiral Cavo Dragone met with the Secretary of National Defense of the Philippines, Gilbert Teodoro, and the Philippine delegation for a warm and candid exchange on the common challenges ahead and the opportunities to deepen cooperation.