The 2004 Istanbul Summit agreed further steps in the development of Alliance capabilities. In particular, Defence Ministers agreed high level political targets to increase the usability of our land forces and to supplement these targets through individual national targets. 

 

Allied Leaders further directed that a Comprehensive Political Guidance (CPG), for all capabilities issues should be developed to support the Strategic Concept, and this guidance was endorsed at the Riga Summit by Heads of State and Government in November 2006.  It gives direction to NATO's military planners in producing forces that are expeditionary, interoperable and flexible enough to undertake the full range of Alliance operations for the next 10-15 years.  This work is supported by a new NATO Level of Ambition (LoA) (agreed in 2006) which aims to ensure NATO can conduct, in addition to Article 5 missions, a greater number of the more likely smaller-scale operations that have been taking place since the end of the Cold War. But changing planning assumptions regarding numbers, size, duration and distance of operations and the required forces, assets, facilities and capabilities to undertake them has many implications for national defence planners and also impacts on the size and shape of the NATO military command structure.
 
Work has been continuing to produce a more flexible NATO. The Transformational element of the June 08 Defence Ministerial will discuss the provision of forces for operations, reserves and the NRF. It will also focus on efforts to increase the number of helicopters for operations and approve a set of recommendations to address shortfalls in the short, medium and longer term, which includes furthering the aims of the UK/FR helicopter initiative.  Other issues for discussion include interoperability, multinational logistics, Alliance Ground Surveillance, reforming the NATO defence planning process, taking stock of work on reviewing the current NATO command structure, and the provision of sufficient funds for defence spending. Tied into this, the Defence Planning Committee (which does not include France) will be asked to approve a number of planning (Force) goals for the next ten years which are designed to help Allies achieve the agreed LoA over time. Included within these, for the first time, for those nations who sought them are a number of goals designed to improve national stabilisation and reconstruction activities. These support the CPG which notes that whilst NATO does not need its own civilian operational arm it is vital the Alliance has effective working arrangements with other actors, such as the UN, EU and international organisations and NGOs, when planning for, and during, an operation which NATO is involved in as a holistic approach would deliver results more effectively than through un-coordinated responses. This would also assist quicker mission completion and, therefore, exit.

 

The UK contributes important capabilities to NATO and continues to work to improve these in line with the needs of the Alliance.