Category: NATO

The first part of the programme was held at NATO HQ in Brussels, where participants were welcomed by the Director of the Cooperative Security Division, Major General Dacian-Tiberiu Șerban. In his remarks, Major General Serban noted the changed security environment and the consequences for not only, Allied Nations, but also Partner Nations. “From Russia’s significant and direct threat to the Alliance, to addressing the consequences of climate change and countering terrorism, the complexity of today’s strategic environment poses an ongoing challenge for NATO and our Partners. Collaboration and cooperation remain key to mitigating these challenges and responding effectively”, he underlined.

He also referenced NATO’s 2022 Strategic Concept, and the decisions taken at the Madrid and Vilnius Summits, which aim to reinforce cooperation between the Alliance and existing Partners, as well as seek out new partnerships with like-minded Nations. “Our partnerships extend from Latin America to East Asia, encompassing the Balkans, the Black Sea region, Northern Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and the Indo-Pacific. We are also looking to expand our partnership network, to Nations that share our values, security interests, and commitment to upholding the Rules-Based International Order. Our objective is to enhance our global awareness, strengthen cooperation, and fortify our collective security and resilience”, noted Major General Șerban.

The next day, the Partner military representatives received an introduction to the standardisation, the initiatives in place for Partners to enable it, and the role it plays in building interoperability amongst allied forces and between partner and allied forces. They were then briefed on the activities undertaken by the Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre, in support of Allies and Partners, including with ongoing medical and practical support to Ukraine, as well as earlier this year, the support provided to Slovenia, after the country was hit by devastating floods. 

The afternoon was dedicated to a discussion on the ongoing challenge posed by terrorism, especially to NATO’s southern flank, northern Africa and the Middle East. The military representatives were briefed on NATO’s newest initiatives to counter the threat, including the creation of an independent experts’ group to review NATO’s approach to its southern neighbourhood, and the appointment of a new Special Coordinator for Counter-Terrorism. 

Closing the meeting, Major General Serban appealed to Partner Nations to send military personnel to the positions that are made available to them within the NATO command structure. “Since Finland has become a NATO Ally and Sweden will follow shortly, a number of partner positions have become available to other nations, who may want to benefit from the experience and expertise offered by the Alliance. In these dynamic and critical times, as we face new and more sophisticated threats to our security and defence, NATO and its Partners have much to learn from each other and much to contribute to each other. If we work together responsibly, collectively and intelligently, to defend our countries, societies and populations, then we will be even more successful in responding to these challenges”, he concluded. 

From 11 to 15 December 2023, the Familiarization Programme will move to SHAPE for a series of presentations and discussions centred on practical military cooperation.

The Secretary General welcomed Luxembourg’s commitment to increased defence spending and thanked the Prime Minister for his “commitment to have a concrete plan to reach 2% by the Washington Summit,” adding “this is key for a fair burden-sharing on both sides of the Atlantic”. Mr Stoltenberg also welcomed Luxembourg’s participation in NATO’s Innovation Fund and investments in NATO’s high-end capabilities, including the next generation of NATO’s AWACS early warning and surveillance aircraft. “This is one of NATO’s biggest-ever joint capability purchases,” he said and added that Luxembourg is at the forefront of NATO’s technological and innovation agenda.

Luxembourg is one of 20 Allies participating in a coalition aimed to strengthen Ukraine’s air defences. “This will help protect Ukrainian soldiers on the battlefield. And protect people’s lives in Ukrainian cities,” said the Secretary General. Luxembourg also supports Ukraine through NATO’s Comprehensive Assistance Package.

In November, the NATO-Ukraine Council met at the level of Foreign Ministers in Brussels, where Allies agreed an ambitious work programme that will bring Ukraine closer to NATO. “Stepping up and sustaining our support is critical to help Ukraine weather the difficult winter ahead, and to ensure Ukraine prevails as a sovereign independent nation. This is the right thing to do. It is also in our own security interest,” Mr Stoltenberg concluded.

The Deputy Secretary General stressed the importance of the NATO-Georgia political dialogue and practical cooperation, including the NATO-Georgia Commission and the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package designed to strengthen Georgia’s ability to defend itself and advance its preparation for membership. He underscored the importance of Georgia’s continued efforts towards comprehensive reforms. “Allied Leaders adopted a clear message, when they met in Vilnius last summer: to advance its Euro-Atlantic aspirations, Georgia must make progress on reforms, including democratic reforms, and make the best use of the Annual National Programme.”

The Deputy Secretary General expressed his appreciation for Georgia’s substantial contributions to NATO, including its “very significant troop contributions, and for the participation of boarding teams of the Georgian Coast Guard in Operation Sea Guardian.” Mr Geoană also welcomed Georgia’s recent progress on its Euro-Atlantic path. “I want to congratulate you on the European Commission’s recommendation to grant Georgia the status of a candidate country. This is a momentous development,” he said.

Mr Papuashvili was accompanied by the Chairman of the Defence and Security Committee of Georgia’s Parliament, Irakli Beraia, the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, Nikoloz Samkharadze, and Ketevan Turazashvili, an opposition Member of Parliament from the Political Group “Citizens’.

The Secretary General and Minister Umerov discussed the latest battlefield developments and Ukraine’s urgent military needs. With winter expected to complicate fighting, Mr Stoltenberg stressed that Allies are committed to stepping up political and practical support to Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia’s invasion. The Secretary General reiterated that NATO will provide long-term support to Ukraine to make Ukraine’s forces fully interoperable within NATO and bring them even closer to the Alliance.
 
Secretary General Stoltenberg and Minister Umerov also discussed Ukraine’s path to NATO membership and Ukraine’s reform efforts. Mr Stoltenberg reiterated that Ukraine will become a member of NATO when all Allies agree and when conditions are met. 
 
Monday’s talks follow a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council at Foreign Ministers level last Wednesday (29 November 2023). Mr Stoltenberg previously met Minister Umerov in Kyiv in September, and during the meeting of NATO Defence Ministers in October.

Exercise Cyber Coalition is NATO’s flagship cyber exercise and one of the largest in the world. This year’s edition brought together more than 1,300 cyber defenders from 28 NATO Allies and 7 partner countries, as well as the European Union and participants from industry and academia. This year’s exercise took place in Tallinn, Estonia, as well as remotely, in national capitals and other locations.

“Cyber Coalition is unique because it is the only cyber exercise in NATO that is not a competition. We all work together as a family of cyber defenders. This collaboration is what makes us stronger and more resilient to cyber threats. This year, the cooperation between all participants has been exceptional” said Commander Charles Elliott (US Navy), Exercise Director.

The Cyber Coalition 2023 scenario is based on real-life cyber challenges, including attacks on critical infrastructure such as electrical substations, energy grids and water treatment plants, as well as the disruption of NATO and Allied assets while in operations. The aim is to enhance NATO’s, Allies’ and partners’ resilience to cyber threats and their ability to conduct cyber operations together.

Cyber Coalition is also a perfect venue for cyberspace experimentation, supporting NATO’s capability development and transformation in the cyber domain. During Cyber Coalition 23, NATO’s Allied Command Transformation spearheaded three experimentations to improve cyber awareness, information sharing and automated data exploitation, and enhance the protection of military missions against cyber-attacks.

The 28 participating Allies were: Albania, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Türkyie, United Kingdom, United States.

The 7 participating NATO partner countries were: Georgia, Ireland, Japan, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland and Ukraine

The EUMS – NATO IMS Director Generals (DGs) Conference enables both DGs and their respective staffs to report on the progress of the joint work plan agreed by the EUMS and the NATO IMS, as well as to exchange views and discuss ongoing collaboration and cooperation between both organisations. 

The 20th EUMS-IMS DGs Conference was Lt Gen Van der Laan’s first as Director General of the EUMS. In his opening remarks, he welcomed the NATO Director General of the IMS and his staff back to the EUMS HQ. He also took the opportunity to acknowledge that the EU-NATO partnership was more important than ever with regard to the current global security climate. “This conference is one of the best examples of the fruitful cooperation between NATO and the EU. Its steady pace is instrumental in developing the excellent cooperation even further.” 

Taking the floor, Lieutenant General Janusz Adamczak, thanked the EUMS for hosting the conference and for the ongoing staff-to-staff cooperation between both organisations. Lieutenant General Adamczak emphasised the importance of the meeting as “an essential activity, not only because it guides the cooperation between our two staffs, but more importantly, because it is a key part of the larger effort to increase the over-all level of NATO-EU cooperation in line with the political expectation, reflected in our higher political documents such as the NATO Strategic Concept, the EU Strategic Compass and, most recently, the Vilnius communique”.

EUMS Deputy Director General, Major General Gábor Horvath introduced the agenda for the conference. Agenda items included follow-on tasks from the previous EUMS-IMS DGs Conference, which took place in June 2023. Major General Horvath outlined the continuing EU-NATO cooperation and information exchange in a number of key areas, which are central to further collaboration. Areas of discussion included Military Mobility, Medical Cooperation, CIS/Cyber interoperability and Gender perspectives. The joint EUMS and IMS staffs also discussed topics such as EU-NATO information exchange and the follow-on tasks for the next conference.  The meeting concluded with both DG EUMS and DG NATO IMS providing their guidance and closing remarks on the way ahead for 2024. 

The next EUMS-IMS DGs Conference will be hosted by NATO and is scheduled to take place in May 2024.
 

In a panel discussion, the Secretary General emphasised the need to manage the security impact of climate change, saying that “climate change creates crisis and crisis undermines the possibility for combating climate change.” Given the inextricable link between the two, he explained that climate change is therefore at the core of NATO’s mission for pursuing peace and security for the Alliance.

He also emphasised the need to ensure the energy transition away from fossil fuels and towards secure and renewable energy supplies. He said: “we need to ensure that when we implement the energy transition away from fossil fuels to more reliable and less polluting sources of energy, we have to make sure that we don’t do that in a way which undermines energy security.” “Russia used gas as a tool to try to coerce us after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. We should not make the same mistakes as we develop a new renewable energy sources,” he said. NATO is “therefore investing in programmes to develop new more environmentally [friendly] technologies” that will “reduce the [reliance on] fossil fuels,” he added.

NATO is adapting its militaries, both to the changing climate and to reduce emissions. The Secretary General said NATO has prioritised addressing climate change at the top of its agenda and agreed specific targets to reduce emissions from NATO bodies and commands by 2030 “and by 2050, we should be as a net zero in the armed forces.” He added that NATO is harnessing technological innovation in green defence and integrating climate considerations into its military plans, exercises and capabilities.

The panel discussion included Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas , Icelandic Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir, US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, President of Timor-Leste José Ramos-Horta, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme Inger Andersen, Founding Director of Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy Jason Bordoff, and Chairman of the Munich Security Conference Christoph Heusgen.

The Secretary General will also meet other international leaders, including President of Iraq Abdul Latif Rashid, and President of Mauritania Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, and US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, during his visit to Dubai.

Arriving in Berlin in the evening of the 29th November, Admiral Bauer started his visit by attending the IBM BSC Executive Dinner, alongside representatives of major defence companies and military experts as well as military representatives from a number of Allied countries. Addressing the participants, the Chair delivered a poignant plea for defence industry, governments and investors to work more closely together, especially in response to the current security environment. “This new era of Collective Defence is an opportunity for us to redefine the military–industrial complex. Both the private and public sector need to fundamentally change their approach. We have the momentum to change the system. To move away from a restricted focus on efficiency and focus on effectiveness again. To move away from the policy of producing ‘just enough, just in time’. And start producing higher volumes of stocks and creating more spare capacity”, he underlined.

The following day, Admiral Bauer headed to the main stage to deliver his keynote address on “NATO in a New Era of Collective Defence”, in which he noted the Alliance’s ongoing adaptation to the changed security environment. “The NATO military authorities have been monitoring Russia’s pattern of aggression for many years, and we have adapted our defence plans accordingly. We have developed several military strategies and plans that outline how we will protect ourselves – now and in the future – against the two main threats listed in the new Strategic Concept: Russia and Terrorist Groups. Our regional plans – agreed at the Vilnius Summit last July – are the most comprehensive defence plans NATO has had since the end of the Cold War”, he added.

Continuing, he stated that while strategies are in place to deter and defend against any threat, in any domain and geographical area, work still needed to be done: “Militarily, there are many more steps to be taken to get where we want to be for our collective defence. However, the responsibility for freedom does not lie on the shoulders of those in uniform alone. In order to strengthen our collective defence and at the same time support Ukraine in its existential fight, we need a whole of society approach.  We need public and private actors to change their mind-set, from an era in which everything was plannable, foreseeable, controllable, focused on efficiency to an era where anything can happen at any time.  An era in which we need to expect the unexpected. For that, we need both Allied Armed Forces and Allied societies to become ‘Kriegstüchtig’: fit to fight”. 

Wrapping up his remarks, Admiral Bauer reminded the audience of NATO’s defensive nature. “NATO is the most successful Alliance in history, not because of any aggressive display of military strength or territory we have brutally conquered. We are the most successful Alliance in history because of the peace we have brought. The countries we have united. And the conflicts we have prevented from spiralling out of control. Because of our ability to “win the war before the war”. But we also need to see the world for what it is and not what we wish it to be. Preparing for war is not aggressive. It is the only way to maintain peace”, he concluded. 

Patrolling the world’s largest island

The sea is choppy. So choppy, in fact, that the lamp in the officer’s mess swings to and fro, casting light and shadows from one angle to another. Mention the rocking to one of the crew, though, and the only answer you’ll get is a knowing smile – as if to say, ”You’ll soon get used to it”.

The 55 or so crew members of the Royal Danish Navy ship HDMS Triton are well-accustomed to these rough seas. Since its launch in 1990, the ship has been a near constant presence in the waters around Greenland and the Faroe Islands, which are both autonomous territories within the Kingdom of Denmark and are therefore part of NATO territory.

The Triton serves a vital role in the defence of this highly contested and strategically important area, known as the High North, conducting patrols and returning to harbour in Denmark only for maintenance and to resupply. While not technically an icebreaker, the ship has been specially designed with a double skinned, ice-reinforced hull so that it can break through up to 80 cm of ice. It is also highly manoeuvrable, which is key when operating in Greenland’s narrow ports and waterways. The Triton patrols the west coast of Greenland, monitoring the area for rogue fishing boats or other suspicious ships and submarines, and, when possible, liaising with local communities.

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This is no small task. Greenland is huge – the world’s largest island. Five times the size of Germany. Fifty times bigger than Denmark. In fact, if you lay it across Europe on a map, it stretches from Portugal to Poland. But its population is only 56,000, less than 1 per cent of the Danish population of around 5.9 million. Inhospitable, inaccessible, ice-covered, remote, it is a destination mainly reserved for cold-weather enthusiasts, scientists and intrepid explorers – and, of course, the Greenlandic Inuit people, who have lived on the vast island for thousands of years. It is also beautiful, rich in sparkling vistas, dramatic snowy valleys and ice highways that offer views overlooking icefields.

On board the Triton, the view is just as spectacular. As we depart the port of Nuuk (Greenland’s capital city), snow-covered glaciers loom on either side of the ship. The homogeneity in the landscape and the lack of identifiable features plays with your perspective – the glaciers and rolling landscapes appear both immense and forbidding yet close and accessible. As Nuuk‘s infrastructure vanishes behind us, human civilisation disappears with it.

Changes and challenges in the High North

The Triton is one of four Danish patrol vessels deployed in the region at any given time. Theships fall under the Joint Arctic Command (JACO), a Danish operational command based in Nuuk. JACO also oversees Challenger 650 patrol aircraft and the Sirius Dog Sled Patrol – an elite naval unit made up of experienced Danes who patrol the eastern coast of Greenland on dog sleds in two-year rotations.

Greenland’s vast icefields have remained virtually untouched for centuries. But that is changing. Rising air temperatures and warm ocean waters are speeding the melting of Greenland’s glaciers. As the ice melts, it opens up previously inaccessible shipping lanes, which are attracting international attention. Cruise liners are beginning to appear with more regularity. Shipping traffic is increasing.

The availability of these new Arctic routes could lead to competition between countries and jeopardise the security of the entire region. Russia maintains significant military capabilities in the Arctic, and its capability to disrupt Allied reinforcements and freedom of navigation across the North Atlantic is a strategic challenge to the Alliance. China has declared itself a “near-Arctic state” and is developing new icebreaker ships with an eye on increasing its Arctic presence. NATO is increasingly concerned by these developments. After all, five of the six countries bordering the Arctic Ocean are NATO Allies: Canada, Denmark, Iceland, Norway and the United States.

On the bridge of the ship, we’re greeted by the Captain. Commander Senior Grade Peter Krogh is a veteran of these waters and a former commander of Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMG1). He is soft-spoken and often found with a cup of strong coffee in hand, but he also carries the presence and authority that his rank demands.

We join him as the ship passes through the incongruously named Disco Bay, a fjord just off the west coast of Greenland. Peter, as his crew call him (on the Triton, everyone refers to one another by their first names regardless of rank – an unusual detour from the watertight etiquette of most militaries) points out one of the few coastal communities on the land’s edge.

“In the Bay of Disco where we are now, people in Ilulissat used to visit the isle of Disco by foot, across the ice, by sledges and dogs,” he tells us. “But they haven’t been able to do that for a very long time.”

Climate change has wide-ranging impacts on the region – not just in melting ice, but in more frequent and severe storms. We’re taken to the helicopter deck, where safety crew are busy prepping the ship’s MH-60R Seahawk helicopter for a training flight. The weather is terrible. Grey clouds unleash a torrent of snow. It’s windy. Sea spray gusts over the deck, and a low-hanging mist means that visibility is low. You don’t need to be an expert to know that these are not ideal flying conditions.

The two pilots perform the final checks before stepping into the helicopter, starting the engines and slowly levitating out over the rough seas. Familiarising themselves with these conditions is vital for the pilots, who need to be able to fly maritime security missions, personnel and cargo transfers, and search and rescue operations.

Life on board the Triton

In the evening, the crew hosts a small social gathering. Officers, NCOs and conscripts mingle together in the area on the ship known as ”the bar”. Drinks are topped up with ice harvested from the surrounding ocean (apparently, ice that appears black as it floats on the surface is among the purest on Earth). As guests on board, we are taught sea shanties and old dice games passed down from one seafaring generation to the next.

The Royal Danish Navy practises a culture of informality and inclusivity, cultivating a relaxed, familiar atmosphere on board. When you spend six weeks at sea in some of the most isolated waters in the world, this is essential for keeping up morale and building camaraderie.

A tiny vessel in a vast sea

The next day, before we disembark, some of the ship’s crew take us out into the surrounding ocean on a small boat. As we slowly pull away from the Triton’s hull and into the waters beyond, icebergs the size of buildings saunter past, each one a different size and shape, and all more than tens of thousands of years old. Even the Triton, in all its 112-metre glory, is dwarfed by the passing ice. It is a humbling, awe-inspiring experience.

The Royal Danish Navy has operated in Greenland’s waters since 1605, when the first three naval units were deployed by King Christian IV. Over the centuries, Danish forces have adapted their procedures and equipment, becoming expert operators in the Arctic maritime environment. That experience has been extremely valuable to share with NATO Allies – and it will prove even more vital as climate change causes the High North to become more accessible, continuing to transform the Arctic in the decades and centuries to come.