Category: NATO

NFTE is not only strengthening the capabilities of Allied air forces but it is also promoting Allied unity.  Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană said: “Unity doesn’t just happen, it has to be earned. One way of achieving this is by systematically training together and forging trusting relationships in the process. NATO Flight Training Europe is an excellent example of this. This important multinational effort will help us to break down national silos towards a shared approach to training the next generations of aircrews.”
 
With the latest expansion of the number of training campuses to fourteen locations, NFTE is now facilitating training in seven Allied counties. The rapid growth of NFTE has attracted interest around the Alliance with several Allies expected to join in the first half of 2024. The placement of the first group of students means that Allied aircrews will have access to cutting-edge training opportunities.

Chaired by Lieutenant General Andrew Rohling, Deputy Chair of the NATO Military Committee, the discussions focused on key lines of efforts spearheaded by NATO’s Allied Command Transformation, including the work on current and future defence planning, capability development needs for adaptation, and experimentation initiatives. 

In his opening address, General Lavigne highlighted the urgency imposed by the current geostrategic environment, adding that “even through NATO is stronger today than ever before, we are engaged in a race we cannot afford to lose. It’s not a static situation, but one where our adversary is currently building and rebuilding its assets faster than we are.” He also emphasized ‘the need for fast and profound transformation”, noting that “where innovation allows us to deal with rapidly evolving threats, it must also covers all levels including material aspects, as well as cultural and procedural changes.”

While at the JALLC, the NATO Military Committee was briefed by its Commander, Commodore Fernando Artilheiro, on the strategic observations from the war in Ukraine. Insights gleaned from the conflict in Ukraine will enable NATO to build on previous experiences, apply those lessons to future operations and planning, and ultimately, bolster the Alliance’s capacity to respond effectively to similar situations in the future.

The ACT visit focused on the significance of adapting and transforming to modern security challenges, initiatives such as the NATO Warfighting Capstone Concept and the implementation of NATO’s Warfare Development Agenda, are essential to ensuring the Alliance’s effectiveness in responding to existing and future threats. As Lieutenant General Rohling underscored the importance of this visit, “these two days have been an opportunity to build up Allied awareness of NATO’s transformation and the challenges it faces. General Lavigne and his team’s commitment to a faster and deeper transformation of our Alliance is key to our future success.”

The programme also included a briefing by Vice-Admiral Jorge Nobre de Sousa, Deputy Joint Operational Commander, on threats to Portugal’s national security, its ongoing response and its contributions to NATO.

The NATO Military Committee concluded their trip with a visit to the STRIKFORNATO headquarters, where they were welcomed by its Deputy Commander, Rear Admiral James Morley. The 32 Military Representatives received an update on the headquarters’ activities, which provides agile and responsive multi-domain joint effects across NATO area of responsibility, in order to preserve, and if necessary, restore the security and integrity of the Alliance. Addressing the military and civilian staff at STRIKFORNATO, Lieutenant General Rohling thanked them for their ongoing efforts, especially for organising training and exercises, which contribute to the Alliance’s collective deterrence and defence.

Subject matter expertise was provided by Dr Gunhild Hoogensen Gjørv from the Arctic University of Norway and Dr Louise Olsson, Research Director at the Peace Research Institute, Oslo (PRIO). 

Dr Hoogensen Gjørv emphasised the importance of using a gender lens to evaluate the effectiveness of international operations. She noted that the intersection of gender and other identity factors such as ethnicity and socioeconomic status has an impact on today’s geopolitical landscape. Therefore, to understand the various positions we take, we must first understand gender as part of a larger cosmos of identities. She also stated that, even within democratic societies, these various identity groups do not yet have equal rights, and it is critical to understand how this affects our security.

Dr Hoogensen Gjørv identified hybrid threats as a major security concern in the High North, characterised by extensive intelligence gathering and hacking incidents. She explained that the proximity of Russia’s military installations in the polar peninsula adds another layer of complexity, as sensitive areas such as civilian airports and societal structures have been targeted. These threats extend beyond traditional military tactics, exploiting societal cleavages, including gender inequalities, to destabilise and polarise democratic societies. She cited disinformation campaigns during Finland’s elections, which targeted the female Prime Minister and exploited existing societal prejudices to cast doubt on a woman’s ability to lead. Migration was highlighted as another focal point for hybrid attacks, with disinformation exacerbating pre-existing prejudices to heighten fear and increase distrust. To address these challenges, Dr Hoogensen Gjørv emphasised the importance of understanding the civilian domain and the role of gender as well as other intersectional identities in shaping societal dynamics and vulnerabilities. 

Dr Olsson began her presentation by detailing a matrix she developed for systematically addressing the Gender Perspective in military organisations and operations in four key areas (henceforth referred to as the PRIO Matrix): 1) external integration, 2) external participation, 3) internal integration and 4) internal participation. She then used this matrix to identify key points when addressing security in the High North. Beginning with external integration, Dr. Olsson discussed integrating the Gender Perspective into the formulation and interpretation of the organisation’s regular visions, objectives and priorities, as well as their relevance for situational awareness. Understanding the societal impacts of conflict, particularly for vulnerable groups, is a necessary starting point for effective integration. Ukraine’s defence against the Russian invasion provides important lessons learned. The direct targeting of civilians, including conflict-related sexual violence, as well as the impact on refugee movements and internal displacement, all pose different risks to men, women, boys and girls. Similarly, military targeting of civilian infrastructure such as hospitals, water and electricity infrastructure, have significant and specific consequences for women’s health and security. This targeting may also reinforce and complicate women’s social responsibility to care for vulnerable populations. This affects women’s ability to contribute to other critical aspects of societal functionality. To that end, the gendered societal impact of conflict can have implications for military capacity development, such as determining responsibility for dealing with violence against civilians and allocating resources between military and civilian defence tasks and objectives.  

Dr Olsson then discussed external participation, which refers to the importance of inclusion and gender awareness in interactions with actors outside the defence sector. She observed that the division of roles and responsibilities in a society is an important entry point because this distribution is often gendered, even in countries with high levels of gender equality. For instance, while Sweden has made significant progress, the labour market is divided along gender lines, with men dominating military defence and women dominating civilian institutions central for defence and resilience. To ensure legitimacy and diverse voices, she emphasised the importance of inclusion, in terms of both number and the actual influence. It is important to determine who has a voice, who is considered an expert and on what, as well as where and from whom the information that underpins central decisions is gathered. These considerations can improve decision-making capacity in security and defence. This is true not only for women, but also for marginalised groups with a stake in the security of the High North, particularly indigenous populations.

When discussing internal integration, Dr Olsson emphasised the importance of building organisational capacity and fine-tuning internal processes so that a military organisation can work systematically from the Gender Perspective.  A critical starting point is the ability to collect and analyse gender-disaggregated data in the relevant geographical area, including intersectional factors, such as age, ethnic background and socio-economic status. This analysis reveals patterns of potential outcomes while also identifying relevant vulnerabilities. Such an analysis can be strengthened further by conducting research and reporting to help unpack empirical trends and factors over time. Finally, in order to translate this understanding into integrated aspects of tasks and activities, she emphasised the importance of education, training and exercises. This includes regional exercise scenarios for assessing how to effectively and relevantly integrate gender into future military planning and operations. 

Dr Olsson concluded her presentation by addressing internal participation. While this is frequently discussed in terms of female personnel recruitment and retention, there is another important dimension to consider: mobilisation during a crisis. For example, government support for child and elderly care promotes high labour participation. Given the current gendered labour distributions at home, many women may be unable to mobilise if child and elderly care are not supported during a crisis. This can affect both military and civilian defence. 

Finally, internal participation entails considering aspects of professional conduct, particularly the prevention of harassment and abuse. Such behaviour has a serious impact on both the individual and the effectiveness of military units. Furthermore, it may indicate a risk of sexual exploitation and abuse of civilians during a crisis. This potential issue should be framed in terms of the need to understand how conflict increases the vulnerability of already vulnerable groups in order to mitigate compounding risks such as sexual violence.

Dr Hoogensen Gjørv and Dr Olsson’s presentations both underlined that gender is an important factor shaping security paradigms in the High North. Hybrid campaigns underscore the importance of recognising and addressing gender disparities in democratic societies, as well as the vulnerability of marginalised groups to destabilisation tactics. The PRIO matrix outlines a roadmap for incorporating the Gender Perspective into military planning, emphasising the importance of identifying civilian vulnerabilities, improving decision-making capacities and using gender-disaggregated data. Integrating the Gender Perspective is a strategic imperative for building resilience and inclusivity in the face of evolving threats in the High North.   

Meeting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Admiral Bauer commended him for his unwavering leadership during the last two years, and for his unrelenting determination to fight for democracy. “Today is the 756th day of what the Russian leadership thought would be a 3-day war. In the darkness of war, you are a beacon of light that shows the world what it means to fight for what you believe in. Your strength and resilience – your мужність – have astounded the world”, he noted.

In his keynote address to the Kyiv Security Forum, Admiral Bauer highlighted that the war in Ukraine is not about any physical threat posed by either Ukraine or NATO. “This war is about the most powerful weapon on earth: democracy.  That is what President Putin fears the most. If people in Ukraine can have democratic rights – real democratic rights – then people in Russia will soon crave them too”, underscored the Chair. He praised the courage and strength of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, “you have fundamentally changed many aspects of modern warfare”.

In his meetings with Foreign Affairs Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Defence Minister Rustem Umerov and Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Olha Stefanishyna, Admiral Bauer discussed the current security environment and the ongoing support and training provided by NATO Allies and Partners. Discussions with General Oleksandr Syrskyi focussed on the situation on the battlefield, progress made by the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the need for more arms, ammunition, capabilities and equipment.

In a meeting with members of the Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian Parliament, Admiral Bauer stated that NATO and Ukraine are growing closer every day, growing ever more interoperable. 

During his visit to the National Defence University, Admiral Bauer met with Ukrainian military personnel and members of the faculty. In an informal setting, the Chair took time to answer the questions posed by audience members on NATO, its military cooperation with Ukraine and other related topics.

Admiral Bauer laid a wreath at the Memorial Wall in Kyiv, in honour of all Ukrainian soldiers who have been valiantly defending their homeland, and for those who have paid the ultimate price in the name of democracy and sovereignty. The Chair then toured an open-air exhibit that displays the wreckage of Russian military equipment captured and destroyed during the initial onslaught of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  

Mr Stoltenberg thanked Slovenia for its steadfast commitment to the Alliance, as it marks 20 years of NATO membership. The Secretary General highlighted Slovenia’s contributions to security in the Western Balkans, a region of strategic importance to the Alliance, including through the critical role Slovenia plays in ensuring that KFOR continues to fulfil its UN mandate.

Addressing Russia’s war against Ukraine, Mr Stoltenberg reiterated that: “Ukraine needs even more support, and they need it now.” He also welcomed Slovenia’s provision of humanitarian and security assistance and hosting Ukrainian refugees.

The presentation of this final report completes the work of the expert group, which had been asked by the NATO Secretary General to take stock of evolving developments in NATO’s southern neighbourhood and identify concrete recommendations to shape the Alliance’s future approach. In their engagement with the Secretary General and the North Atlantic Council, the group discussed current challenges in the region and opportunities for further cooperation with partner nations, international organisations and other relevant actors.
 
The group, established in early October 2023, was composed of eleven experts and engaged with senior Allied civilian and military staff, NATO partners in the southern neighbourhood, as well as experts from academia and civil society. 
 
Allied Foreign Ministers will provide feedback on the group’s final report during their April 2024 meeting, after which the Secretary General will present concrete proposals to Allies. The aim is to agree a set of measures to strengthen NATO’s approach to its southern neighbourhood in time for the NATO Summit in Washington in July. 

The Secretary General kicked off the inaugural event by underlining that the only way to ensure NATO has the best people is through being an inclusive, accessible and diverse organisation. The Assistant Secretary General for Executive Management Carlo Borghini highlighted that Allies adopted a new NATO diversity, inclusion and accessibility action plan earlier this year.

The event included a panel discussion on diversity, equity and inclusion, with guest speakers, Ambassador Bonnie Denise Jenkins, U.S Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security and Stephanie A. La Rue, Chief Advisor on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Chief (DEIA) of the Office for the U.S Director of National Intelligence.

NATO Elevate Diversity is a Staff Resource Group (SRG) that was created to foster diversity and inclusion at NATO by supporting the recruitment, retention and professional growth of racially diverse talents that represents the diversity of allied nations.

ELEVATE‘s mission is to foster a climate of inclusion and mutual understanding, and to create a workplace where every individual feels valued, respected, and empowered to contribute to the organisation.

The main objectives of ELEVATE Diversity are to:

• Support and deliver initiatives contributing to the representation and progression of people of colour within NATO;
• Raise awareness of and celebrate different cultures, backgrounds, and heritages;
• Provide advice on NATO policies, practices, and culture for a more inclusive work environment for people of colour;
• Curate forums that allow employees to learn and discuss cultural, social, and career related topics through the unique lens of employees of colour.

The Deputy Secretary General praised Moldova’s contributions to the NATO-led KFOR mission in Kosovo and underscored Allied support to Moldova’s path towards EU membership. “It’s always a pleasure to receive our long-standing partners from the Republic of Moldova, and I know that your visit today will be strengthening and deepening our partnership, for already thirty years,” the Deputy Secretary General said. “We know that our partnership will help to have your armed forces become more solid and reach a level of professionalism where NATO is the gold standard around the world,” he added.