ROMANIA – 10 YEARS OF NATO MEMBERSHIP
SMART DEFENCE, SMART NATIONS
Allies show that a multinational cooperation mind-set is increasingly at the heart of capability
development.
NATO promotes Allies’ working better to-
gether to efficiently build and maintain capabili-
ties that increase effectiveness. It is one example
of how NATO is addressing fiscal realities head-
on, while simultaneously ensuring its ability to
continue to field modern and relevant defence
capabilities. Smart Defence (SD) is backed by a
vision, action and leadership to foster a mind-set
of multinational cooperation. From the outset,
SD was built with and for Allies with commit-
ment at the highest political levels. The idea is
simple: help Allies identify and pursue multina-
tional capability development opportunities that
address both their national defence requirements
and NATO’s priorities through a phased continu-
ous approach; building efforts across the short,
medium and long term.
Intent Backed by Action
A SD portfolio of projects is under develop-
ment and growing with new and innovative ideas
from across the Alliance. The projects are multi-
national solutions to national capability require-
ments. By aligning the projects with NATO’s De-
fence Planning requirements, the multinational
solutions generated through SD can help fulfil
NATO’s capability requirements. This bottom-
up approach is important to keep SD accessi-
*Mr. Richard PERKS works as Strategist within Smart Defence Core Team Capability Devel-
opment Division.
36 STRATEGIC IMPACT No. 2/2014
Richard PERKS*
ble to all Allies and solidify a SD mind-set. The
portfolio currently has two completed logistics
projects, Helicopter Maintenance and Demilita-
risation, Dismantling and Disposal of deployed
assets. Cooperation associated with Helicopter
Maintenance saved an Ally millions of Euros,
but more importantly significantly improved
mission availability. There are 27 active projects
and about 120 proposals under development at
various levels of maturity.
NATO’s Role
NATO’s role is to help Allies identify prac-
tical areas for cooperation and facilitate and en-
courage progress. This function is accomplished
within NATO’s capability planning domains and
is overseen by committees. Committees are best
positioned to harmonise potential multinational
solutions with NATO requirements. These com-
mittees are becoming ‘marketplaces’ to under-
stand priorities, discuss ideas, and develop new
multinational proposals. They are the primary
forum to facilitate the development of project
proposals through the identification of lead and
participating Nations, conduct project work-
shops and to share lessons learned. NATO staffs
have been proactive in helping Allies identify
potential SD projects that can also help to fulfil
 ROMANIA – 10 YEARS OF NATO MEMBERSHIP

NATO’s pressing capability shortfalls. Sixty per- and to commit ships to combined deployments
cent of SD projects and proposals can contribute with these US ships. This essential first step of a
directly to meeting NATO’s shortfalls. phased and continuous SD approach enables all
Allies, even those not BMD capable, to make a
Capabilities that Increase meaningful contribution to the mission. Short-
NATO’s Relevance term efforts like these could be important to me-
dium and long-term multinational cooperation
The 2014 NATO Summit is the opportunity in other broader aspects of BMD outside of the
Allies have to raise their ambition to use SD maritime domain.
tools to show solidarity, resolve and to make
progress in more challenging and politically An Advocate of Multinational Cooperation
visible capability areas. Focused efforts are in
the Joint Intelligence Surveillance and Recon- Allied Command Transformation (ACT)
naissance (JISR) and Ballistic Missile Defence plays a key role in promoting the SD vision.
(BMD) capability areas. ACT’s current priorities include developing mul-
Under the JISR initiative launched at the tinational efforts with Allies in JISR and BMD.
2012 Chicago Summit, NATO is developing an These represent the broader and balanced efforts
architecture that will permit nations to “plug-in” of ACT to promote and support cooperation and
national surveillance assets and share data. JISR innovative ideas across the capability spectrum.
emphasises the idea of essential connectivity. Additionally, ACT looks longer-term by promot-
NATO continues to identify the ‘connective tis- ing efforts now that can enable future coopera-
sue’ frameworks and standards that help guide tion. As an example, requirements for long-term
and focus Allies’ JISR capability development. Theatre Air Mobility capabilities can benefit
Considerable multinational progress is being from discussions between defence planners and
made in shared training that will enable both the Allies to identify interest. Simple efforts now,
Alliance Ground Surveillance capability as well to synchronise intent and eventually programme
as address lessons learned from Operation Uni- and budget requirements, is an essential first step
fied Protector (Libya). A long-range maritime to long-term cooperation on major capabilities.
surveillance capability being developed by a Finally, through Defence Planning activities and
group of Allies may serve to highlight the overall the management of the SD Database of projects,
efforts and essential connectivity of JISR. ACT helps to create a shared understanding of
Sensors and weapon systems contributed by opportunities for cooperation and actively sup-
Allies are the foundation of the interim NATO ports groups of Allies in their pursuit of multina-
BMD capability declared in 2012. The permanent tional solutions.
basing of four United States (US) multi-mission
missile defence-capable AEGIS Destroyers in NOTE: The article can be also found on
Rota, Spain is a fundamental building-block. NATO website, at http://www.act.nato.int/article-
Allies are gearing up to work together in the 2014-1-06
development of plans and operational concepts

STRATEGIC IMPACT No. 2/2014 37

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