NATO
Allied Command Transformation
January 24, 2023

NATO Chiefs of Defence Meet in Brussels

On 18 and 19 January 2023, the NATO Military Committee, joined by invitees Finland and Sweden, met in Chiefs of Defence format in Brussels. The Chiefs of Defence discussed the strengthening of the Defence and Deterrence posture of the Alliance by increasing readiness, developing capabilities and interlinking national and NATO military planning more closely than ever. Chiefs of Defence were also briefed by the Ukrainian Military Representative, Major General Serhii Salkutsan, on behalf of the Ukrainian Chief of Defence, on the military developments in and around Ukraine. The Military Committee commended the Ukrainian forces for their resilience and their relentless devotion to the fight for freedom.

Admiral Rob Bauer, Chair of the Military Committee, opened the meeting by referencing the fundamental changes in modern warfare seen in the war in Ukraine: “The war has also shown us that you have to be able to fight tomorrow’s battles as well as yesterday’s battles…today. Modern warfare is just as much about bits and bots as it is about mud and blood…we are seeing the dawn of a new era of collective defense. However, it is an era that NATO is ready for. We have shown the world that we are capable of quickly scaling up our presence whenever and wherever necessary.”

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General Philippe Lavigne, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, briefed the Military Committee on the accelerated implementation of the NATO Warfighting Capstone Concept and Warfare Development Agenda. The Chiefs of Defence discussed how multi-domain operations, interoperability and digital transformation help maintain a military edge over potential adversaries. General Lavigne stated, “NATO is now moving towards Multi-Domain Operations with a collective approach to keep the advantage tomorrow, finding the right balance between the large and few versus the small and many.”

General Cavoli, Supreme Allied Commander Europe briefed the Chiefs of Defence on the implementation of the Concept for the Deterrence and Defence of the Euro-Atlantic Area as well as the New Force Structure. General Cavoli noted that NATO military plans were taking into account…and detailed how they will drive the New Force Structure Requirement…..

The session on NATO Readiness and Sustainment of military forces saw the Chiefs of Defence exchange views on military stockpiles, pre-positioning of equipment and capability development based on collective defence requirements….

The Chiefs of Defence also discussed the Kosovo Force mission, joined by their Operational Partners Armenia, Austria, Finland, Ireland, Moldova, Sweden, Switzerland, and Ukraine….The Chiefs of Defence reaffirmed their commitment to the Kosovo Force’s mission….

Turning south, the Military Committee discussed the NATO mission in Iraq with Operational Partners Australia, Finland, and Sweden. The Chiefs of Defence discussed the Mission’s ongoing efforts to assist Iraq….

Photograph: NATO Allied Command Transformation