Category: NATO Civ-Mil Ctr

Connected Forces Initiative (latest NATO HQ initiative, should prioritize future ACT work, currently under initial study)

After 2014, NATO is expected to shift its emphasis from operational engagement to operational preparedness. This means NATO will need to remain capable of performing its core tasks – described in its Strategic Concept¹ – and of maintaining its forces at a high level of readiness. To help achieve this, Allied leaders have set out the goal of ‘NATO Forces 2020’: modern, tightly connected forces that are properly equipped, trained, exercised and led. The Connected Forces Initiative (CFI) will help maintain NATO’s readiness and combat effectiveness through expanded education and training, increased exercises and the better use of technology.

Distributed Networked Battle Labs (cheap substitution to traditional CIS test and evaluation, lead by ACT, under implementation and facing resistance)

The Distributed Networked Battle Labs (DNBL) has been created in order to tighten cooperation on preparation and conduct of Experimentation, Test and Evaluation (ET&E) events between the members of the framework. The DNBL Framework provides the operating model to enable the federated use of capabilities and systems for a wide range of user groups and to exchange ET&E services available in the DNBL Service Catalogue.  Since 2010 the DNBL framework is in operation and has supported multiple test events in the area of Joint Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (JISR).  In light of NATO Smart Defence concept, this initiative is open for NATO organisations, NATO and PfP countries, their industry and academia.

Smart Defense (NATO HQ initiative before last, still ongoing, led by nations watched by ACT)

In these times of austerity, each euro, dollar or pound sterling counts. Smart defence is a new way of thinking about generating the modern defence capabilities the Alliance needs for the coming decade and beyond. It is a renewed culture of cooperation that encourages Allies to cooperate in developing, acquiring and maintaining military capabilities to undertake the Alliance’s essential core tasks agreed in the new NATO strategic concept. That means pooling and sharing capabilities, setting priorities and coordinating efforts better.

Smart defence is based on capability areas that are critical for NATO, in particular as established at the Lisbon summit in 2010. Ballistic missile defence, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, maintenance of readiness, training and force preparation, effective engagement and force protection – these are all on the list.

NATO Defense Planning Process (ever lasting, ever questioned, bulky slow but irreplaceable main strategic capability planning tool and driver of future capability work, Step 2 led by ACT)

The aim of NATO defence planning is to provide a framework within which national and Alliance defence planning activities can be harmonized to meet agreed targets in the most effective way. It aims to facilitate the timely identification, development and delivery of the necessary range of forces – forces that are interoperable and adequately prepared, equipped, trained and supported – as well as the associated military and non-military capabilities to undertake the Alliance’s full spectrum of missions.

Defence planning encompasses several planning domains: force, resource, armaments, logistics, nuclear, C3 (consultation, command and control), civil emergency planning, air defence, air traffic management, standardization, intelligence, medical support and research and technology. The NDPP has introduced a new approach to defence planning and operates within the new NATO committee structure.

Continue reading “References: NATO Transformation Process Documents — and Gaps + Peace from Above RECAP”

The Ra-Awakening of Anbar

April 2013

PDF 13 Pages

Anbar province has once again re-emerged as the focal point of manifest Sunni dissatisfaction over its minority status in Iraq. This paper will discuss recent events within Anbar province and surrounding provinces that have led to the re-awakening of Anbar in 2013.

PDF (7 Pages):  20120316 NATO CIMIC Role_of_India_Pakistan_in_Afghanistan_Development

March 2012

This report addresses the roles of India and Pakistan on the economic development of Afghanistan based on the material provided in open sources.

The involvements of Pakistan and India in Afghanistan are often related to each other. Given that the research and materials concerning these two countries’ involvement in Afghanistan heavily overlapped, the Civil-Military Fusion Centre (CFC) determined to address these two topics in one consolidated report.  It may be useful to preface the specific discussion of Indian and Pakistani contributions with a discussion of these countries broader strategies towards Afghanistan. For instance, an article noted by South Asia scholar Christine Fair in Foreign Policy indicates India hopes to contribute to peace and stability in Afghanistan and the emergence of an Afghan government which is on friendly terms with India. Similarly, a report from the Jinnah Institute and the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) indicates that Pakistan wishes to have friendly relations with Afghanistan and to ensure that events in Afghanistan do not contribute to instability in Pakistan. Such factors and many others, as demonstrated in the following sections, have led these two countries to make significant contributions to reconstruction, development and natural resource exploitation in Afghanistan.

PDF (8 Pages):  20120316 NATO CIMIC Role_of_China_in_Afghanistan_Economy_Development

March 2012

This report examines the contribution of the People’s Republic of China to reconstruction and development in Afghanistan, with a particular emphasis on mining and natural resource exploitation.

On 05 December 2011, at the Second International Bonn Conference on Afghanistan, China’s Minister of Foreign Affairs declared the following: “The Chinese people cherish friendly sentiments toward the Afghan people and sincerely hope that peace, stability, independence and development will come to Afghanistan at an early date. We will work with the international community and make our due contribution to the achievement of this goal.” Such comments reflect China’s engagement with Afghanistan’s development, which has, since March 2010, taken place in the scope of the China-Afghanistan comprehensive cooperative partnership agreement, according to Eurasia Review. The topic of Chinese involvement in Afghanistan is taken up in this report, which primarily focuses upon China’s contribution to development and natural resource exploitation in Afghanistan. This review of Chinese engagement is divided into the following sections: (i) aid and development financing, (ii) bilateral trade and (ii) investment in natural resources. It builds upon previous CFC work concerning this issue, including a May 2010 report on “Chinese Involvement in Afghan Development”.