NATO eyes alliance assurance force An armed pro-Russian militant checks passing cars May 20 near the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk. (Viktor Drachev / AFP) Defense News -- In response to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, NATO leaders are examining the need to enhance the readiness of deployable military forces to reassure allies and deter threats to the alliance. If all members agree, this will be one of the major reforms to come out of the NATO summit in Wales, Sept. 4-5. Russian President Vladimir Putin used unconventional tactics to seize the Crimea from Ukraine and continues to rely on what has been described as “hybrid warfare” or “ambiguous warfare” to destabilize eastern Ukraine and Odessa. Ambiguous warfare relies on a combination of untraditional tools, including well-resourced and comprehensive information warfare, targeted and persistent cyber attacks, plus the insertion of irregular forces/commandos, all executed below the threshold of a conventional military invasion across borders. In other words, ambiguous warfare is designed to disrupt the target and create a chaotic environment (by use of deception, coercion and ethnic unrest) so that control can be gained without firing a shot. The ease with which Putin used ambiguous warfare to take Crimea away from Ukraine has been a great concern for NATO leaders. As NATO’s supreme military commander Gen. Philip Breedlove argues, “It is illustrative for us to look at this form of warfare we’re seeing from Russia and how we will react to it in the future,” he said in a Stars and Stripes interview. Poland’s Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski expressed the view of NATO members near Russia’s border, which feel particularly vulnerable to the new threat from the east. “Unfortunately, the Russian actions in Ukraine don’t make us feel more secure, but less secure,” he said in remarks during a CNN interview. Sikorski is one of the strongest voices in the alliance for improving NATO defenses to match this new threat. “We want standing defense plans. We want bigger response forces.” One option NATO leaders are considering is creation of an immediate alliance assurance force. British Gen. Sir Adrian Bradshaw is deputy commander of all NATO forces and he said that such a force could be based on the existing NATO Response Force. This force would be maintained at a high state of readiness and intended for rapid deployment before a conflict erupts. This rapid response capability would be deployed regularly and across the alliance to assure all allies of collective defense and deter threats from any direction. NATO members could contribute different types of units to this alliance assurance force, for example, mechanized, infantry, armor, aviation, naval assets, etc. This rapid response capability would focus on speed, providing NATO leaders with a credible and easily deployable asset to match sudden threats along NATO’s periphery. It would be backed up by a larger force that may not deploy as quickly, but would deliver more firepower and deterrence in support of the immediate alliance assurance force. Together, these elements would provide NATO with clear demonstrations of allied unity and strength to deter both unconventional and conventional threats. In his recent visit to NATO’s military headquarters, British Prime Minister David Cameron urged the leaders of NATO to reach agreement on such a force when they join him in Wales in September. “We must also use the summit to ensure that NATO is prepared to respond swiftly to any threat against any ally, including with little warning. That means a multinational, high readiness force that can deploy quickly on exercises in the territory of an ally that feels threatened.” If NATO leaders approve the proposed rapid response force at the summit in Wales, it could be one of the biggest steps taken to strengthen deterrence in Europe and prevent the conflict in Ukraine from spreading. For feedback or other inquiries: [email protected] To book advertisements: [email protected] ift.tt/XCoKlg
Posted on: Thu, 21 Aug 2014 11:03:24 +0000
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