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12. NATO and the COVID-19 emergency: actions and lessons
- Author:
- Olivier Rittimann
- Publication Date:
- 09-2020
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- NATO Defense College
- Abstract:
- At the height of the COVID-19 crisis, a number of voices criticized NATO's absence in the fight against the pandemic. As expected, many of these critics came from Russia and China, exploiting a highly effective STRATCOM to allege an apparent lack of NATO involvement. However, criticism also emerged from within the Alliance, urging that NATO should wake up to the situation. Russian propaganda, backed by the actual deployment of planes and trucks to Italy, and domestic condemnation fueled a sense of discontent in people as regards the usefulness and effectiveness of international organizations at large, and more specifically NATO and the European Union (EU). This impression of inaction persisted for a couple of weeks after the outbreak of the COVID crisis in most Allied nations, until eventually an aggressive counter messaging strategy was put forward by NATO HQ, SHAPE and individual nations themselves.
- Topic:
- Defense Policy, NATO, European Union, Alliance, and COVID-19
- Political Geography:
- Europe and North America
13. Revitalizing NATO’s once robust standardization programme
- Author:
- Paul Beckley
- Publication Date:
- 07-2020
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- NATO Defense College
- Abstract:
- Since the end of the Cold War and after the 9/11 attacks, globalization has not replaced Great Powers' competition as some predicted but, progressively, it has accelerated it. Such competition has been driven by advanced technology, which potentially preludes the next revolution in military affairs. Competition among nations is nothing new, but in contrast to the industrial era, in the digital age it is not just about the number of tanks, ships, aircraft and brigades. It is also about the control of networks, platforms and software. This represents an important transformation: norm-setting in these technical domains will yield significant geopolitical returns. In the realm of technology, standards are tantamount to the rules of the game.
- Topic:
- NATO, Geopolitics, and Standardization
- Political Geography:
- Europe and North America
14. NATO and 5G: what strategic lessons?
- Author:
- Andrea Gilli
- Publication Date:
- 07-2020
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- NATO Defense College
- Abstract:
- Thanks to their higher speed, larger data volume, lower latency, and capacity to sustain very high density connections (including machine-to-machine communications), 5G networks are set to unleash a major economic revolution, potentially adding trillions of dollars to the global economy (at least according to recent forecasts). From smart cities to Artificial Intelligence (AI); telemedicine to driverless cars; virtual reality to the Internet of Things (IoT); Industry 4.0 to all manner of applications that will comprise this new ecosystem, 5G ushers in enormous opportunities. 5G communications still require significant investments, both for research and development of key technologies, and for building the supporting infrastructure. Moreover, the next generation of telecommunications raises several important questions about the political economy of spectrum allocation and standard definition, their military applications, the role of Chinese companies and the attendant cybersecurity risks. These are all relevant topics for NATO from which the Alliance can draw some strategic lessons.
- Topic:
- NATO, Military Strategy, Data, 5G, and Internet of Things
- Political Geography:
- Europe, North America, and Global Focus
15. NATO’s strategic redirection to the South
- Author:
- Stephen J. Mariano
- Publication Date:
- 06-2020
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- NATO Defense College
- Abstract:
- NATO created the Strategic Direction South--the "Hub"--in 2017, in response to illegal migration into Europe from war-torn Libya, Syria, and Iraq, highlighting humanitarian and internal security concerns. As evidence began to emerge that criminal organizations and terrorist groups were leveraging migration flows, these fears coalesced with other security concerns, not only disrupting the stability of European societies but also threatening the security of European societies but also threatening the security of the Alliance. Eventually, NATO recognized that the situation was connected to deeper sources of instability and that solutions would require a comprehensive approach to the southernmost parts of "the South".
- Topic:
- Security, Defense Policy, NATO, and Migration
- Political Geography:
- Europe and North America
16. NATO’s needed offensive cyber capabilities
- Author:
- Ion A. Iftimie
- Publication Date:
- 05-2020
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- NATO Defense College
- Abstract:
- At the 2016 NATO Summit in Warsaw, cyberspace was recognized as an operational domain in which NATO military forces must be able to maneuver as effectively as they do on land, at sea and in the air. Since then, Allies have conducted several successful offensive cyber operations against non-state adversaries, such as Daesh. Due to technological transformations in recent years, cyber is no longer viewed by NATO and its member states only as a hybrid threat, but also as a weapon in its own right and as a force multiplier in current military operations. Over the next two decades, NATO will look for new ways to integrate cyber weapons (or offensive cyber capabilities) into its operations and missions.
- Topic:
- Defense Policy, NATO, Non State Actors, and Cybersecurity
- Political Geography:
- Europe, North America, and Global Focus
17. Projecting Stability to the South: NATO’s other challenge
- Author:
- Chloe Berger
- Publication Date:
- 05-2020
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- NATO Defense College
- Abstract:
- In the spring of 2020, the Atlantic Alliance's "large periphery" to the South, which extends from the Sahel to the Asian borders of the Arabian Gulf, remains in a state of dangerous instability. The health and containment measures taken by the authorities against the COVID-19 crisis have put popular claims to rest. The case of Lebanon shows, however, that the urgency of the pandemic has not made the demands of the population disappear. Beyond managing the health crisis, there is no doubt that the future of the region's leaderships will largely depend on their ability to mitigate both the socio-economic consequences of the COVID-19 crisis, as well as the political ones.
- Topic:
- NATO, Political stability, Alliance, and Conflict
- Political Geography:
- Europe, Middle East, and North Africa
18. The NATO Pipeline System: a forgotten defence asset
- Author:
- Dominik P. Jankowski
- Publication Date:
- 04-2020
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- NATO Defense College
- Abstract:
- Over the last decade, energy security has become a permanent element of NATO's strategic thinking, integrated into numerous NATO policies and activities. In fact, restoring the prominence of energy security within the Alliance was not easy, especially as this policy was considered primarily a question of national security in the post-Cold War era. It was only at the 2008 Bucharest Summit that NATO was given a dedicated, yet limited, mandate to work in this field. The mandate--based on a set of principles and guidelines--included information and intelligence sharing, cooperation on consequence management, and support for the protection of critical energy infrastructure.
- Topic:
- Defense Policy, NATO, Energy Policy, European Union, and Economy
- Political Geography:
- Europe
19. It’s that time of the decade again: some considerations for NATO’s eighth Strategic Concept
- Author:
- Jeffrey H. Michaels
- Publication Date:
- 01-2020
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- NATO Defense College
- Abstract:
- In the Declaration that emerged from teh December 2019 London Leaders Meeting, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was tasked to present Foreign Ministers with "a forward-looking reflection process under his auspices, drawing on relevant expertise, to further strengthen NATO's political dimension including consultation.". This new tasking has been largely attributed to French President Emmanuel Macron's remark the previous month that the Alliance was suffering from "brain death". Speaking at a press conference alongside Stoltenberg, Macron elaborated on his comment, complaining the Alliance was overly focused on "cost-sharing or burden-sharing" whereas too little attention was being placed on major policy issues such as "peace in Europe, the post-INF, the relationship with Russia, the issue of Turkey, who is the enemy?"
- Topic:
- Security, Defense Policy, and NATO
- Political Geography:
- Europe and North America
20. Energy security in the Baltic Region: between markets and politics
- Author:
- Marc Ozawa
- Publication Date:
- 01-2019
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- NATO Defense College
- Abstract:
- NATO addresses energy security concerns in three ways, through strategic awareness, infrastructure protection and energy efficiency measures. However, what may be a concern for NATO is potentially a problem for member states with conflicting views on the issue, the politics of which impact their interactions within the Alliance. Nord Stream 2, the trans-Baltic pipeline connecting Ust-Luga (Russia) to Greifswald (Germany), is one such example because it is so divisive. This Policy Brief advocates a role for NATO as a constructive partner with the European Union (EU), the governing body for energy security issues in tandem with national governments, while avoiding the divisive politics of direct involvement. NATO and the EU have complementary perspectives on energy security. The Alliance’s view is directed at broad security implications and the EU’s Director- General for Energy (DG Energy) is more focused on market matters. In this complementarity of perspectives NATO could indirectly assist DG Energy in making better energy policies and help to avoid the politicization of projects that create friction within the EU, the type that can spill over into NATO. The strife around Nord Stream 2, for example, works against both EU unity and cohesion within NATO such that, what may not have originally been perceived as a problem for NATO, becomes one.
- Topic:
- Security, NATO, Energy Policy, Regional Cooperation, and European Union
- Political Geography:
- Europe, North Atlantic, and North America