Category: North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

Along NATO’s eastern flank, Russian military aircraft have a history of not transmitting a transponder code indicating their position and altitude, not filing a flight plan, or did communicating with air traffic controllers. The vast majority of aerial encounters between NATO and Russian jets were safe and professional. Breaches of NATO airspace by Russian military aircraft remained rare and generally of short duration.

“Russia’s war against Ukraine has created the most dangerous security situation in Europe in decades,” said acting NATO Spokesperson Dylan White. “NATO fighter jets are on duty around the clock, ready to scramble in case of suspicious or unannounced flights near the airspace of our Allies. Air policing is an important way in which NATO provides security for our Allies.”

In the wake of Russia’s war in Ukraine, NATO has substantially reinforced its air defences on its eastern flank, including with more fighter jets, surveillance flights and ground-based air defences. After repeated Russian strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure very close to NATO territory, Allies deployed extra fighter jets to Romania. In October, after subsea pipelines ruptured in the Baltic Sea, NATO sent additional capabilities to the region. This year, NATO also held its biggest ever air exercise, with over 250 aircraft training for the collective defence of the Alliance during “Air Defender 23”. 

“This brigade needs to be ready to move within days to wherever NATO needs it, making it a key part of our collective defence. The UK’s leadership of our highest readiness formation is a clear display of its capabilities and commitment to NATO”, said acting Spokesperson Dylan White.

The VJTF is the highest-readiness element of NATO’s larger Response Force, which also includes air and maritime forces. In 2024, VJTF land forces will comprise some 6,000 thousand troops, with the 7th Light Mechanised Brigade Combat Team – “the Desert Rats” – at its core. The brigade consists of a light cavalry regiment, and four light-mechanised infantry battalions with artillery, engineering, logistics, and medical regiments. Units include the Royal Anglian Regiment and the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. Poland’s 1st Warsaw Armored Brigade and Spain’s Brigada Guzmán el Bueno will provide heavy battle tanks, attack helicopters and air defences. In total, nine NATO Allies provide forces.

NATO’s Joint Force Command in Brunssum will command the Response Force in 2024. The United Kingdom’s Allied Rapid Reaction Corps will serve as the land component command. The Alliance will transition the NATO Response Force into the new Allied Reaction Force in mid-2024.

Commissioned in 1956 to be presented during the December North Atlantic Council meeting at NATO’s Palais de Chaillot Headquarters in Paris, only 300 of these limited edition scarves were ever produced. All 300 were either donated or sold to NATO personnel and national delegations. Unfortunately, you may have trouble tracking one down, BUT if do you manage to get your hands on one of these collector’s items, the fashionista close to your heart will surely thank you.

Perhaps more accessible (and certainly more affordable) than the Hermès scarf, duct tape is one of the most essential and versatile military inventions of our time. It was designed by Vesta Stoudt, a munitions factory worker and mother of two soldiers who served in the US Navy during the Second World War. Stoudt proposed an improved, waterproof version of the paper tape used to seal boxes of artillery shells and wrote a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt to promote her idea. Once the new tape was rolled out, soldiers discovered that they could use it to repair practically anything, and that legacy continues today. What better gift for the do-it-yourself expert on your list this year?

In complex, high-stress military environments where decisions have to be made in a split second, it’s not always easy to tell friend from foe. That’s why the US Army developed a deck of playing cards featuring 54 NATO weapons systems – so that troops can learn while they play! A staple for troops in the field since at least the First World War, playing cards provide a release from the stress of battle, a sense of normalcy and an avenue for social interaction. They’ve also been used to pass information to troops behind enemy lines. This particular set of “NATO Proliferation Playing Cards” is actually available for download from the US Army’s Central Army Registry website!

NATO’s beekeeper, Bruno Harmant, harvests honey twice a year from the four beehives located at NATO Headquarters in Brussels. Just one of these hives can produce up to 25 kilograms of honey, a significant portion of which is left for the bees to use during the winter months. In November 2022, 350 jars of NATO honey were sold at the NATO Charity Bazaar and the profits were donated to Belgian and international charities. Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also gifted a number of jars to ambassadors in the North Atlantic Council. So while it’s unlikely you’ll get your feelers on a jar of NATO honey, we do recommend this sugary treat for the person with a sweet tooth in your life!

Bing Crosby is arguably most famous for singing the hit song “White Christmas” – the best-selling physical single of all time. Perhaps less well-known but also sung by Crosby was “The NATO Song”. To celebrate the Alliance’s 10th anniversary on 4 April 1959, Crosby was commissioned to create a short ode to the value of NATO as a defensive shield behind which free societies could flourish. The music lover on your list will be shocked and awed by the behind-the-scenes experience of Crosby’s process that you get in this surviving demo track of “The NATO Song”. 

The first NATO stamps were created in 1952 by Portugal and the United States. Since then, most Allies have released commemorative NATO stamps to celebrate various anniversaries and events over the years (France even held an exhibition of NATO stamps in 1959). The older stamps may be hard to track down, but the collector you love is worth it, right?  

We know what you’re thinking – “Tapestries are sooo 16th century” – but hear us out. In 1965, the Permanent Representative of Belgium to the North Atlantic Council, André de Staercke, unveiled Belgium’s gift to NATO Headquarters in Paris. It was a traditional wall tapestry titled Le triomphe de la paix, designed and created by Belgian artist Roger Somville. Measuring 4.7m high and 13.3m wide, it was given pride of place in the conference hall because of its bright colours and allegorical resonance. It was returned to the Belgian government after NATO moved to its new headquarters in 1967, so unfortunately you can’t gift this exact tapestry to that special someone on your list. But take this as inspiration in your hunt for the perfect piece!

Over the years, photographers across the Alliance have taken millions of pictures documenting candid moments of humanity, spontaneity and beauty during NATO activities. Now, NATO lets the public choose their favourite photo taken by a NATO or Allied photographer every year, via a social media poll. The winning photo is added to NATO: A History in Snapshots, which is comprised of one photo for every year of NATO’s history. Perhaps you want to print and frame the photo from your shutterbug’s birth year. Or maybe they’d prefer this year’s photo. The choice is yours! (See more of NATO’s high-res photography on our flickr)

Before you take off, watch this video of paratroopers from US 173rd Airborne for courage! The paratroopers took part in Saber Guardian 2017, a US-led exercise involving more than 25,000 troops from over 20 NATO Allies and partner countries. Captain Brigid Calhoun talks about what it’s like to jump from a plane to help you prepare.

Take inspiration from the Chasseurs Alpins, the French Army’s elite mountain infantry unit. They’ll tell you everything you need to know about surviving in the mountains. It’s good information to have – even if you plan to stay in a cosy chalet!
So with a little something for everyone on your list (and since it’s December and you’re running out of time), trust NATO’s 2023 Gift Guide to help you find the perfect present this year!

The European Union is an important partner for NATO. The third NATO-EU Joint Declaration was signed in January 2023 and the two institutions are looking to increase cooperation in new areas. Mr Geoană stressed that democratic nations and institutions like NATO and the EU must stand ever more closely together, and protect their values and shared interests.  The Deputy Secretary General also highlighted NATO’s current activities and core missions, including deterrence and defence, innovation, resilience and partnerships. 

Underscoring that the next generation of Europe’s diplomats has rarely been more important, Mr Geoană encouraged them to be true leaders, in their profession and their countries.

NATO’s photo of the year for 2023:

24 July 2023 The British Army’s Royal Lancers (Queen Elizabeths’ Own) take part in Operation Cabrit, the UK operational deployment to Estonia, where UK troops are leading a NATO multinational battlegroup. Pictured here: the Royal Lancers get back to their cavalry heritage by conducting mounted armoured reconnaissance with the Polish Territorial Defence Force’s 2nd Lubelska (Lublin) Brigade. Credit: The Royal Lancers, British Army

Scroll through the images below to see the other three photos that were part of the vote:

• • 24 January 2023 Romania’s elite mountain troops train alongside their French Allies as part of NATO’s multinational battlegroup in Romania. Pictured here: a soldier rappels from a massive pine tree in a snowy forest in Romania. Credit: Vasile Hrib, Bishop Cojocariu via Ministry of National Defence, Romania
• • 23 September 2023 Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 and Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 join some 30 warships and more than 3,000 personnel from 15 countries for exercise Northern Coasts 23 in the central Baltic Sea. The two-week German-led naval exercise fosters interoperability and demonstrates Allied combat readiness and resolve to deter aggression. Credit: NATO Maritime Command
• • 31 August 2023 A US Army paratrooper assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade looks up as fellow paratroopers descend towards him during an airborne operation on Frida Drop Zone, Pordenone, Italy. The 173rd Airborne Brigade is the US Army’s Contingency Response Force in Europe, providing rapidly deployable forces to the United States European, African and Central Command areas of responsibility. The brigade routinely trains alongside NATO Allies and partners. Credit: US Army Sgt. Mariah Y. Gonzalez

Check out NATO: a history in snapshots for more photos of Allies training, working and living together – one from every year of NATO’s history, including the winner of our public vote for 2023.

On Thursday morning the Deputy Secretary General visited the French National Assembly and had an engagement with with Mrs Yaël Braun-Pivet, President of the National Assembly and her team. He also met Ambassador Anne-Marie Descôtes, the Secretary General of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France.

On Friday, Mr Geoană met the Romanian ambassador to France and other Allied ambassadors before meeting with Préfet Stéphane Bouillon, Secretary General for Defence and National Security.

While in Paris, the Deputy Secretary General also held talks with representatives from the defence industry, including Mr Éric Trappier, CEO of aerospace manufacturer Dassault Aviation, and Mrs Pascale Sourisse, senior executive vice-president of Thales Group.
 

“NATO remains the unique and indispensable forum to consult, coordinate and act on hybrid threats. We see authoritarian actors increasingly interfering in our democratic processes and institutions. In fact, we see them targeting the security of our citizens through hybrid tactics on a daily basis. Our discussions at the symposium therefore focused on how to better prepare for, deter, and defend against this coercive use of political, economic, energy, information and other hybrid tactics.” said David Van Weel, Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges. 

In response to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, Allies are strengthening their national resilience against hybrid threats and improving their ability to understand the hybrid threat landscape, including strategies used by Russia and China.  Russia seeks to destabilise Allied democracies through implementing hybrid campaigns that involve cyber-attacks and energy blackmail, as well as in recent months, its use of migrants against Finland. In Vilnius, NATO leaders addressed China’s ambitious and opaque military developments, its technological advances, and its malicious cyber and hybrid activities, confrontational rhetoric and disinformation.

This is the first time that the symposium has been hosted in person. The event was co-organised with Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defence. Finland also hosts the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats in Helsinki. The Centre serves as a hub of expertise, assisting participating countries in improving their civil-military capabilities, resilience and preparedness to counter hybrid threats. Inaugurated in October 2017, the Centre is hosted by the Finnish Government and is supported by 35 other countries, as well as NATO and the EU.

The Secretary General welcomed Slovakia’s support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, emphasising that “there are no signs that Putin is preparing for peace. Instead the Kremlin is preparing for a long and grinding war”. Mr Stoltenberg thanked Prime Minister Fico for confirming that Slovakia would continue to provide humanitarian aid and contribute to NATO’s comprehensive assistance package for Ukraine. He also welcomed continued defence industry cooperation between Slovakia and Ukraine and that the crucial repair hub in Slovakia will remain operational. “Stopping military assistance to Kyiv would prolong the war, not end it,” said the Secretary General. Mr Stoltenberg aIso welcomed President Biden’s clear commitment to providing Ukraine with crucial aid, stressing that “if Putin wins in Ukraine, there is a real risk that his aggression will not end there.” 

On NATO’s deterrence and defence, the Secretary General announced that a long-planned US missile defence base in Poland will become operational on Friday (15 December 2023). “This is an important step for transatlantic security” and it will “boost Allies’ ability to defend against the threat of ballistic missiles, particularly from the Middle East,” said Mr Stoltenberg.

NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană highlighted that increasing and broadening the use of NATO common funding allows Allies to more effectively address shared security challenges. “Common funding demonstrates Allied solidarity and collective will. In turbulent times, we need this more than ever,” he said.

At the Madrid Summit in 2022, Allies agreed to invest more together in NATO, in response to rising global competition and threats to Euro-Atlantic security caused by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. At the Vilnius Summit in 2023, NATO leaders took further steps to strengthen NATO’s deterrence and defence and committed to ensuring that these decisions are adequately resourced.  They reaffirmed their enduring commitment to a strong transatlantic bond, unity and cohesion at a critical time for global peace and security.

NATO’s civil budget provides funds for personnel, operating costs, and programme expenditures of NATO’s Headquarters and its international staff. The military budget covers the operating costs of NATO Command Structure headquarters, missions, and operations around the world. NATO’s third principal common funded element is the NATO Security Investment Programme (NSIP), which covers major construction, and command and control system investments. The 2024 ceiling for the NSIP is €1.3 billion, representing a 30% increase over 2023.

Common-funded budgets strengthen NATO, providing major capabilities, enabling deterrence, defence and interoperability, and supporting consultation and decision-making at the highest levels. NATO is committed to providing security in a way that is effective, transparent, and financially responsible.