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Structure of NATO

January 01, 1970

The Structure of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is complex and multi-faceted.[1] The decision-making body is the North Atlantic Council (NAC), and the member state representatives also sit on the Defence Policy and Planning Committee (DPPC) and the Nuclear Planning Group (NPG).[2][3] Below that the Secretary General of NATO directs the civilian International Staff, that is divided into administrative divisions, offices and other organizations. Also responsible to the NAC, DPPC, and NPG are a host of committees that supervise the various NATO logistics and standardisation agencies.

The NATO Military Committee advises and assists the NAC on military matters. The Defence Planning Committee which directs its output to the Division of Defence Policy and Planning, a nominally civilian department that works closely with the Military Committee's International Military Staff.[4]

All agencies and organizations are integrated into either the civilian administrative or military executive roles. For the most part they perform roles and functions that directly or indirectly support the security role of the alliance as a whole.

History edit

 
1952 NATO organisational chart

The Defence Planning Committee was a former senior decision-making body on matters relating to the integrated military structure of the Alliance. It was dissolved following a major committee review in June 2010 and its responsibilities absorbed by the North Atlantic Council and the Defence Policy and Planning Committee (DPPC).

Civilian structure edit

In NATO: The First Five Years Lord Ismay described the civilian structure as follows:[5]

The ..Office of the Secretary General [is] directed by an Executive Secretary, Captain R.D. Coleridge (UK), who is also Secretary to the Council. He is responsible for supervising the general processing of the work of the Council and their committees, including provision of all secretarial assistance, as well as supervision of the administrative services of the Staff/Secretariat itself. Thus the Secretariat provides secretaries to all the Council's principal committees and working groups - apart from those of a strictly technical nature - and ensures co-ordination between them. .. On the Staff side there are three main divisions corresponding to the three principal aspects of NATO's work, each under an Assistant Secretary General. Ambassador Sergio Fenoaltea (Italy) heads the Political Affairs Division, M. Rene Sergent (France) the Economics and Finance Division, and Mr. Lowell P. Weicker (USA) the Production and Logistics Division. The Divisions' tasks are to prepare, in close touch with delegations, proposed action in their respective fields for consideration by the appropriate committee or by the Council. In addition to the main divisions there are three other offices working directly to the Secretary General. These are the Office of Statistics (Mr. Loring Wood of the USA), the Financial Comptroller's Office (M. A. J. Bastin of Belgium), and the Division of Information (Mr. Geoffrey Parsons, Jr. of the USA). The Information Division, besides providing material about NATO for the use of member governments, (it does not engage in independent operations), is also the press and public relations branch of the civilian authority.

Military structure edit

The Strategic Commanders are the former 'Major NATO Commanders', who sat atop a command hierarchy consisting of Major Subordinate Commanders (MSCs), Principal Subordinate Commanders (PSCs) and Sub-PSCs.[6] The Military Committee had an executive body, the Standing Group, made up of representatives from France, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The Standing Group was abolished during the major reform of 1967 that resulted from France's departure from the NATO Military Command Structure.[7]

Beginnings edit

 
NATO military command and areas of responsibilities (1954)

A key step in establishing the NATO Command Structure was the North Atlantic Council's selection of General Dwight D. Eisenhower as the first Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) in December 1950.[7] After Eisenhower arrived in Paris in January 1951, he and the other members of the multinational Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) Planning Group immediately began to devise a structure for the new Allied Command Europe. NATO official documents say '..The corner stone of the NATO Military Command Structure was laid.. when the North Atlantic Council approved D.C. 24/3 on 18 December 1951.'[8] They quickly decided to divide Allied Command Europe into three regions: Allied Forces Northern Europe, containing Scandinavia, the North Sea and the Baltic; Allied Forces Central Europe, and Allied Forces Southern Europe (AFSOUTH), covering Italy and the Mediterranean. SHAPE was established at Rocquencourt, west of Paris.

The British post of Commander in Chief Mediterranean Fleet was given a dual-hatted role as NATO Commander in Chief of Allied Forces Mediterranean in charge of all forces assigned to NATO in the Mediterranean Area. The British made strong representations in discussions regarding the Mediterranean NATO command structure, wishing to retain their direction of NATO naval command in the Mediterranean to protect their sea lines of communication running through the Mediterranean to the Middle East and Far East.[9]

In 1952, after Greece and Turkey joined the Alliance, Allied Land Forces South-Eastern Europe (LANDSOUTHEAST) was created in Izmir, Turkey, under a U.S. Army General.[10] This was due to the two states' geographic distance from the LANDSOUTH headquarters, as well as disagreements over which nation should be the overall commander for their ground forces.

 
Military organisation of NATO mid-1960s, before the dissolution of the Standing Group (Source Pentagon Papers).

With the establishment of Allied Command Atlantic (ACLANT) on 30 January 1952, the Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic joined the previously created Supreme Allied Commander Europe as one of the alliance's two Major NATO Commanders.[11] A third was added when Allied Command Channel was established on 21 February 1952 to control the English Channel and North Sea area and deny it to the enemy, and protect the sea lanes of communication.[12][13] The establishment of this post, and the agreement that it was to be filled by the British Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth, was part of the compromise that allowed an American officer to take up the SACLANT post. Previously Commander-in-Chief Portsmouth had controlled multinational naval operations in the area under WUDO auspices. In due course the CINCHAN role was assumed by the British Commander-in-Chief Fleet.

In 1966, when French president Charles de Gaulle withdrew French forces from the military command structure, NATO's headquarters was forced to move to Belgium. SHAPE was moved to Casteau, north of the Belgian city of Mons. Headquarters Allied Forces Central Europe was moved from the Chateau de Fontainebleau outside Paris to Brunssum, in the Netherlands.

Structure in 1989 edit

After the Cold War edit

By June 1991, it was clear that Allied Forces Central Europe (a Major Subordinate Command) could be reduced, with the Soviet threat disappearing. Six multinational corps were to replace the previous eight.[15] Announcements in June 1991 presaged main defensive forces consisting of six multinational corps. Two were to be under German command, one with a U.S. division, one under Belgian command with a pending offer of a U.S. brigade, one under U.S. command with a German division, one under joint German-Danish command (LANDJUT), and one under Dutch command. The new German IV Corps was to be stationed in Eastern Germany, and was not to be associated with the NATO structure.

On 1 July 1994, the Alliance disestablished Allied Command Channel, through retaining many of its subordinate structures after reshuffling. Most of the headquarters were absorbed within ACE, particularly within the new Allied Forces Northwestern Europe.[16]

 
NATO E-3A flying with United States Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons in a NATO exercise.

From 1994 to 1999 ACE had three Major Subordinate Commands, AFNORTHWEST, AFCENT, and AFSOUTH. In 1995 NATO began a Long Term Study to examine post-Cold War strategy and structure. Recommendations from the study for a new, streamlined structure emerged in 1996.[17] The European and Atlantic commands were to be retained, but the number of major commands in Europe was to be cut from three to two, Regional Command North Europe and Regional Command South Europe. Activation of the new RC SOUTH occurred in September 1999, and in March 2000 Headquarters AFNORTHWEST closed and the new RC NORTH was activated.[18] The headquarters of the two Regional Commands were known as Regional Headquarters South (RHQ South) and RHQ NORTH respectively. Each was to supervise air, naval, and land commands for their region as well as a number of Joint Subregional Commands (JSRCs). Among the new JSRCs was Joint Headquarters Southwest, which was activated in Madrid in September 1999.

Organizations and agencies edit

Prior to the reorganization, the NATO website listed 43 different agencies and organizations and five project committees/offices as of 15 May 2008.[19] They included:

Civilian structure today edit

In the twenty-first century NATO has an extensive civilian structure, including:

  • Public Diplomacy Division
  • NATO Office of Security (NOS)
  • Executive Management
  • Division of Political Affairs and Security Policy
  • Division of Operations
  • Division of Defence Policy and Planning
  • Division of Defence Investment
  • NATO Office of Resources (NOR)
  • NATO Headquarters Consultation, Command and Control Staff (NHQC3S)
  • Office of the Financial Controller (FinCon)
  • Office of the Chairman of the Senior Resource Board (SRB)
  • Office of the Chairman of the Civil and Military Budget Committees (CBC/MBC)
  • International Board of Auditors for NATO (IBAN)
  • NATO Production and Logistics Organizations (NPLO)

The Defence Planning Committee (DPC) is normally composed of Permanent Representatives, but meets at the level of Defence Ministers at least twice a year. It deals with most defence matters and subjects related to collective defence planning. In this it serves as a coordinating body between the Civilian and Military organizational bureaucracies of NATO.

The Defence Planning Committee was a former senior decision-making body on matters relating to the integrated military structure of the Alliance. It was dissolved following a major committee review in June 2010 and its responsibilities absorbed by the North Atlantic Council and the Defence Policy and Planning Committee (DPPC).[23]

Military command structure edit

NATO's military operations are directed by the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee and split into two Strategic Commands, both long commanded by U.S. officers, assisted by a staff drawn from across NATO. The Strategic Commanders are responsible to the NATO Military Committee for the overall direction and conduct of all Alliance military matters within their areas of command.

On 12 June 2003 NATO ministers announced an end to the decades-old structure of a command each for the Atlantic and Europe. Allied Command Operations (ACO) was to be established, responsible for the strategic, operational and tactical management of combat and combat support forces of the NATO members, and Allied Command Transformation (ACT) responsible for the induction of the new member states' forces into NATO, and NATO forces' research and training capability.[24] The European allies had become concerned about the possibility of a loosening of U.S. ties to NATO if there were no longer any U.S.-led NATO HQ in the United States, and the refocusing of the Atlantic command into a transformation command was the result.[25] The alliance created several NATO Rapid Deployable Corps and naval High Readiness Forces (HRFs), which all report to Allied Command Operations. In Europe the Regional Commands were replaced by JFC Brunssum and JFC Naples, and the JSRCs disappeared (though the Madrid JSRC became a land command for JFC Naples).

The commander of Allied Command Operations retained the title "Supreme Allied Commander Europe", and remains based at SHAPE at Casteau. He is a U.S. four-star general or admiral with the dual-hatted role of heading United States European Command. ACO includes Joint Force Command Brunssum in the Netherlands, Joint Force Command Naples in Italy, and Joint Force Command Lisbon in Portugal, all multi-national headquarters with many nations represented.[26] From 2003, JFC Brunssum had its land component, Allied Land Component Command Headquarters Heidelberg at Heidelberg, Germany, its air component, Allied Air Command Ramstein, at Ramstein in Germany, and its naval component at the Northwood Headquarters in the northwest suburbs of London. JFC Naples has its land component in Madrid, air component at İzmir, Turkey, and its naval component, Allied Maritime Command Naples, in Naples, Italy. It also directed KFOR in Kosovo. Joint Command Lisbon was a smaller HQ with no subordinate commands.

In 2012–2013, the Military Command Structure was reorganised. Allied Force Command Madrid was disestablished on 1 July 2013, the Heidelberg force command also deactivated,[27] the maritime component command at Naples was closed[28] and the air component command at Izmir also shut down.[29] Allied Air Command Izmir was reorganised as Allied Land Command.

A number of NATO Force Structure formations, such as the NATO Rapid Deployable Corps, are answerable ultimately to SACEUR either directly or through the component commands.[30] Directly responsible to SACEUR is the NATO Airborne Early Warning Force at NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen in Germany where a jointly funded fleet of Boeing E-3 Sentry Airborne early warning and control radar (AWACS) aircraft are located. The Boeing C-17 Globemaster IIIs of the Strategic Airlift Capability, which became fully operational in July 2009, are based at Pápa airfield in Hungary. However, the Strategic Airlift Capability was later separated from NATO and is now an independent organisation, though it still works closely with NATO.

Allied Command Transformation (ACT) is based in the former Allied Command Atlantic headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia , United States. It is headed by the Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT), a French officer. There is also an ACT command element located at SHAPE in Mons, Belgium. In June 2009 Le Figaro named the French officer who was to take command of ACT following France's return to the NATO Military Command Structure.[31] Subordinate ACT organizations include the Joint Warfare Centre (JWC) located in Stavanger, Norway (in the same site as the former Norwegian Armed Forces National Joint HQ); the Joint Force Training Centre (JFTC) in Bydgoszcz, Poland; and the Joint Analysis and Lessons Learned Centre (JALLC) in Monsanto, Portugal. The NATO Undersea Research Centre (NURC) at La Spezia, Italy, was also part of ACT until it was shifted under the auspices of the NATO Science & Technology Organization.

In early 2015, in the wake of the War in Donbass, meetings of NATO ministers decided that Multinational Corps Northeast would be augmented so as to develop greater capabilities, to, if thought necessary, prepare to defend the Baltic States, and that a new Multinational Division Southeast would be established in Romania. Six NATO Force Integration Units would also be established to coordinate preparations for defence of new Eastern members of NATO.[32]

Multinational Division Southeast was activated on 1 December 2015.[33] Headquarters Multinational Division South – East (HQ MND-SE) is a North Atlantic Council (NAC) activated NATO military body under operational command (OPCOM) of Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) which may be employed and deployed in peacetime, crisis and operations.

On 25 April 2017, the commander-designate of the new Multinational Division Northeast arrived at the headquarters location at Elblag, Poland. On 3 July 2017, the new division reached initial operational capability (IOC).[34] The division is tasked to coordinate the four NATO Enhanced Forward Presence battlegroups and to carry out Article 5 collective defence activities.[35]

In late 2017-early 2018, two new commands were approved, a rear area transit command which was finally announced as the Joint Support and Enabling Command, to be located at Ulm, Germany, and a new command for the Atlantic.[36] In March 2018 Chair of the Military Committee General Petr Pavel announced that the new Atlantic command would become part of the NATO Command Structure at the level of a Joint Force Command, similar to the two that exist at Brunssum and Naples. On 7 June 2018 the Secretary-General said the new joint forces command will have its headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, in the United States.[37] The name was confirmed as Joint Force Command Norfolk at the NATO Summit in July. It was to be commanded by the vice-admiral who leads the United States Second Fleet.[38] On 15 July 2021 Joint Force Command Norfolk (JFC-NF) attained Full operational capability (FOC) under the command of Vice Admiral Andrew Lewis.[39]

Canada-US Regional Planning Group edit

The Canada-US Regional Planning Group (CUSRPG) is the only survivor of the originally five regional planning groups of the late 1940s and early 1950s.[40] All the others were subsumed into Allied Command Europe and Allied Command Atlantic.[41] In August 1953 it was tasked to '..(a) Prepare, approve and forward to the Military Committee, through the Standing Group, plans for and other material pertaining to, the defense of the Canada-U.S. Region. (b) Coordinate plans with SACLANT and other NATO Commands.[42] The NATO Handbook stated in 1990s editions that it was responsible for the defence of the US-Canada area and meets alternatively in Washington, D.C., and Ottawa. As such it appears to duplicate, in part, the work of the Permanent Joint Board on Defence.

NATO Networks edit

There are several communications networks used by NATO to support its exercises and operations:

Organizations and agencies edit

A major reorganization of the NATO Agencies was agreed at a meeting of the defence ministers from NATO's 28 member states on 8 June 2011. The new Agencies' structure would be built upon the existing one:[43]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "NATO WEBSITE". from the original on 22 December 2015.
  2. ^ "NATO Handbook. 50th Anniversary Edition". NATO. p. 234. from the original on 5 April 2017. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  3. ^ Sayle, Timothy Andrews (10 September 2020). "A nuclear education: the origins of NATO's Nuclear Planning Group". Journal of Strategic Studies. 43 (6–7): 920–956. doi:10.1080/01402390.2020.1818560. ISSN 0140-2390. S2CID 225310096.
  4. ^ NATO's Military Committee: focused on operations, capabilities and cooperation [1][dead link]
  5. ^ "Chapter 6 - The civilian structure". NATO the first five years 1949-1954. NATO. from the original on 15 March 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2008.
  6. ^ T.D. Young, Reforming NATO's Military Structures, 7.
  7. ^ a b Dr Gregory W. Pedlow, Evolution of NATO's Command Structure 1951-2009 1 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine.
  8. ^ "SUMMARY OF THE NATO MILITARY COMMAND STRUCTURE, TERMS OF REFERENCES AND AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MAJOR NATO COMMANDERS' AND THEIR IMMEDIATE SUBORDINATE COMMANDERS". from the original on 5 April 2017. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  9. ^ Sean Maloney, 'To Secure Command of the Sea,' University of New Brunswick thesis, 1991, p.258-261
  10. ^ "Chapter 7 - The Military Structure". NATO the first five years 1949-1954. NATO. from the original on 15 March 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2008.
  11. ^ "Chapter 7 - The Military Structure - Atlantic Command". NATO the first five years 1949-1954. NATO. from the original on 15 March 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2008.
  12. ^ "Chapter 7 - The Military Structure - Channel Command and Channel Committee". NATO the first five years 1949-1954. NATO. from the original on 10 January 2008. Retrieved 3 September 2008.
  13. ^ "NATO the first five years 1949-1954". NATO. from the original on 15 March 2017. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  14. ^ "Revised Terms of Reference for SACLANT" (PDF). NATO Archives. NATO Standing Committee. (PDF) from the original on 2 December 2017. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  15. ^ Barbara Starr, 'Cold War Battle Orders Make Way for a New NATO Era,' Jane's Defence Weekly, 8 June 1991.
  16. ^ Thomas-Durrell Young, Command in NATO After the Cold War: Alliance, National, and Multinational Considerations 20 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine, U.S. Army Strategic Studies Institute, 1 June 1997, 11, citing JDW 17 July 1993.
  17. ^ Pedlow, 12.
  18. ^ T.D. Young, 'NATO After 2000,' 16-18.
  19. ^ NATO, Organizations and Agencies 15 April 2011 at the Wayback Machine, accessed May 2008
  20. ^ . www.nc3a.nato.int. Archived from the original on 14 January 2009. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
  21. ^ NATO Communication and Information Systems Agency 2008-04-21 at the Wayback Machine
  22. ^ . Archived from the original on 28 February 2009. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
  23. ^ "Defence Planning Committee (DPC) (Archived)".
  24. ^ Espen Barth, Eide; Frédéric Bozo (Spring 2005). "Should NATO play a more political role?". Nato Review. NATO. from the original on 12 July 2007. Retrieved 15 July 2007.
  25. ^ Pedlow, 13-14.
  26. ^ Allied Command Operations, Military Command Structure 20 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  27. ^ Vandiver, John (30 November 2012). "NATO Activates Allied Land Command". Stars and Stripes. from the original on 5 February 2013. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
  28. ^ "Deactivation ceremony of Allied Maritime Command Naples". Headquarters Allied Joint Force Command Naples. from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  29. ^ "NATO deactivates allied air command Izmir headquarters Turkey". NATO. from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  30. ^ "High Readiness Forces and Headquarters in the NATO Force Structure". Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  31. ^ (in French) LeFigaro.fr 13 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine, accessed June 2009
  32. ^ BBC, NATO Readjusts as Ukraine Crisis Looms 22 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine, 5 February 2015.
  33. ^ "NATO Activates New Multinational Division Southeast Headquarters in Bucharest, Romania". NATO Headquarters, Belgium. 1 December 2015. from the original on 19 March 2017. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  34. ^ "Multinational Division North East - Multinational Division North East Headquarters achieved Initial Capability". mndne.wp.mil.pl. from the original on 1 April 2018. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  35. ^ "Multinational Division North East - Mission". mndne.wp.mil.pl. from the original on 1 April 2018. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  36. ^ Mehta, Aaron (14 February 2018). "US, Germany likely home to new NATO commands".
  37. ^ . Archived from the original on 14 June 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
  38. ^ Babb, Carla (6 August 2018). "US Navy's Top Admiral Cites Increased Threat in Ocean Nearest Washington". voanews.com. from the original on 5 October 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
  39. ^ Megan Eckstein (15 Jul 2021) As new NATO command becomes fully operational, top US military officer issues warning over ‘great power war’
  40. ^ Final Communique of the First Session of the North Atlantic Council, Terms of Reference and Organisation 19 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine, 17 September 1949, retrieved from NATO.int, October 2013.
  41. ^ Sean Moloney thesis
  42. ^ Annex L to Enclosure B, Summary of the NATO Military Command Structure and Terms of Reference and Areas of Responsibility of Major NATO Commanders and their Immediate Subordinate Commanders 20 May 2018 at the Wayback Machine, SGM-1180-53, 3 August 1953.
  43. ^ Jorge Benitez, "Details of NATO's new agency structure" 2012-03-30 at the Wayback Machine, NATO Source, 9 June 2011. Retrieved 10 June 2011.

Sources edit

  • Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay (1954). "NATO: The First Five Years". Paris: NATO. Retrieved 4 April 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  • Pedlow, Dr Gregory W. "Evolution of NATO's Command Structure 1951-2009" (PDF). aco.nato.int. Brussels(?): NATO ACO. Retrieved 18 February 2015.

Further reading edit

  • John Borawski, Thomas-Durell Young, NATO After 2000: The Future of the Euro-Atlantic Alliance
  • Dr. Thomas-Durell Young, Reforming NATO's Military Structures: The Long-Term Study and Its Implications for Land Forces, Strategic Studies Institute, 1 May 1998. Often taken for granted, the Alliance's integrated command structure provides the basis for NATO's collective defense, and increasingly, as seen in Bosnia, its ability to undertake peace support operations. However, the very value by which nations hold the structure has resulted in a difficult and time-consuming reorganization process, which has produced only limited reforms.
  • Dr. Thomas-Durell Young, Multinational Land Formations and NATO: Reforming Practices and Structures, Strategic Studies Institute, 1 December 1997. Reduced national force structures, new NATO roles and missions emanating from the military implementation of Alliance Strategy and the rapid reaction requirements associated with the embryonic Combined Joint Task Forces (CJTF) concept are but three of a multitude of inter-related issues.
  • The current official reference for the NATO Military Command Structure appears to be MC 324/1 (The NATO Military Command Structure, May 2004) and a successor MC 324/2. The previous issue was MC 324, issued on 6 January 1999.
  • NATO Office of Information and Press, NATO Handbook : Fiftieth Anniversary Edition, NATO, Brussels, 1998–99, Second Reprint, ISBN 92-845-0134-2

External links edit

  • "Background on NATO Command Structure Review" (PDF). NATO. June 2011. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
  • Atlantic Council of the United States (August 2003). (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 October 2012.

January 01, 1970
structure, nato, structure, north, atlantic, treaty, organization, complex, multi, faceted, decision, making, body, north, atlantic, council, member, state, representatives, also, defence, policy, planning, committee, dppc, nuclear, planning, group, below, tha. The Structure of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is complex and multi faceted 1 The decision making body is the North Atlantic Council NAC and the member state representatives also sit on the Defence Policy and Planning Committee DPPC and the Nuclear Planning Group NPG 2 3 Below that the Secretary General of NATO directs the civilian International Staff that is divided into administrative divisions offices and other organizations Also responsible to the NAC DPPC and NPG are a host of committees that supervise the various NATO logistics and standardisation agencies The NATO Military Committee advises and assists the NAC on military matters The Defence Planning Committee which directs its output to the Division of Defence Policy and Planning a nominally civilian department that works closely with the Military Committee s International Military Staff 4 All agencies and organizations are integrated into either the civilian administrative or military executive roles For the most part they perform roles and functions that directly or indirectly support the security role of the alliance as a whole Contents 1 History 1 1 Civilian structure 1 2 Military structure 1 2 1 Beginnings 1 2 2 Structure in 1989 1 2 3 After the Cold War 1 3 Organizations and agencies 2 Civilian structure today 3 Military command structure 3 1 Canada US Regional Planning Group 4 NATO Networks 5 Organizations and agencies 6 See also 7 References 7 1 Sources 8 Further reading 9 External linksHistory edit nbsp 1952 NATO organisational chart The Defence Planning Committee was a former senior decision making body on matters relating to the integrated military structure of the Alliance It was dissolved following a major committee review in June 2010 and its responsibilities absorbed by the North Atlantic Council and the Defence Policy and Planning Committee DPPC Civilian structure edit In NATO The First Five Years Lord Ismay described the civilian structure as follows 5 The Office of the Secretary General is directed by an Executive Secretary Captain R D Coleridge UK who is also Secretary to the Council He is responsible for supervising the general processing of the work of the Council and their committees including provision of all secretarial assistance as well as supervision of the administrative services of the Staff Secretariat itself Thus the Secretariat provides secretaries to all the Council s principal committees and working groups apart from those of a strictly technical nature and ensures co ordination between them On the Staff side there are three main divisions corresponding to the three principal aspects of NATO s work each under an Assistant Secretary General Ambassador Sergio Fenoaltea Italy heads the Political Affairs Division M Rene Sergent France the Economics and Finance Division and Mr Lowell P Weicker USA the Production and Logistics Division The Divisions tasks are to prepare in close touch with delegations proposed action in their respective fields for consideration by the appropriate committee or by the Council In addition to the main divisions there are three other offices working directly to the Secretary General These are the Office of Statistics Mr Loring Wood of the USA the Financial Comptroller s Office M A J Bastin of Belgium and the Division of Information Mr Geoffrey Parsons Jr of the USA The Information Division besides providing material about NATO for the use of member governments it does not engage in independent operations is also the press and public relations branch of the civilian authority Military structure edit The Strategic Commanders are the former Major NATO Commanders who sat atop a command hierarchy consisting of Major Subordinate Commanders MSCs Principal Subordinate Commanders PSCs and Sub PSCs 6 The Military Committee had an executive body the Standing Group made up of representatives from France the United States and the United Kingdom The Standing Group was abolished during the major reform of 1967 that resulted from France s departure from the NATO Military Command Structure 7 Beginnings edit nbsp NATO military command and areas of responsibilities 1954 A key step in establishing the NATO Command Structure was the North Atlantic Council s selection of General Dwight D Eisenhower as the first Supreme Allied Commander Europe SACEUR in December 1950 7 After Eisenhower arrived in Paris in January 1951 he and the other members of the multinational Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe SHAPE Planning Group immediately began to devise a structure for the new Allied Command Europe NATO official documents say The corner stone of the NATO Military Command Structure was laid when the North Atlantic Council approved D C 24 3 on 18 December 1951 8 They quickly decided to divide Allied Command Europe into three regions Allied Forces Northern Europe containing Scandinavia the North Sea and the Baltic Allied Forces Central Europe and Allied Forces Southern Europe AFSOUTH covering Italy and the Mediterranean SHAPE was established at Rocquencourt west of Paris The British post of Commander in Chief Mediterranean Fleet was given a dual hatted role as NATO Commander in Chief of Allied Forces Mediterranean in charge of all forces assigned to NATO in the Mediterranean Area The British made strong representations in discussions regarding the Mediterranean NATO command structure wishing to retain their direction of NATO naval command in the Mediterranean to protect their sea lines of communication running through the Mediterranean to the Middle East and Far East 9 In 1952 after Greece and Turkey joined the Alliance Allied Land Forces South Eastern Europe LANDSOUTHEAST was created in Izmir Turkey under a U S Army General 10 This was due to the two states geographic distance from the LANDSOUTH headquarters as well as disagreements over which nation should be the overall commander for their ground forces nbsp Military organisation of NATO mid 1960s before the dissolution of the Standing Group Source Pentagon Papers With the establishment of Allied Command Atlantic ACLANT on 30 January 1952 the Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic joined the previously created Supreme Allied Commander Europe as one of the alliance s two Major NATO Commanders 11 A third was added when Allied Command Channel was established on 21 February 1952 to control the English Channel and North Sea area and deny it to the enemy and protect the sea lanes of communication 12 13 The establishment of this post and the agreement that it was to be filled by the British Commander in Chief Portsmouth was part of the compromise that allowed an American officer to take up the SACLANT post Previously Commander in Chief Portsmouth had controlled multinational naval operations in the area under WUDO auspices In due course the CINCHAN role was assumed by the British Commander in Chief Fleet In 1966 when French president Charles de Gaulle withdrew French forces from the military command structure NATO s headquarters was forced to move to Belgium SHAPE was moved to Casteau north of the Belgian city of Mons Headquarters Allied Forces Central Europe was moved from the Chateau de Fontainebleau outside Paris to Brunssum in the Netherlands Structure in 1989 edit NATO Military Committee led by the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee in Brussels Belgium Allied Command Europe ACE led by Supreme Allied Commander Europe SACEUR in Mons Belgium ACE Mobile Force in Seckenheim Germany United Kingdom Air Forces in High Wycombe United Kingdom NATO Airborne Early Warning Force in Maisieres Belgium Allied Forces Northern Europe AFNORTH in Kolsas Norway Allied Forces North Norway NON in Bodo Norway Allied Forces South Norway SONOR in Stavanger Norway Allied Forces Baltic Approaches BALTAP in Karup Denmark Allied Land Forces Schleswig Holstein and Jutland LANDJUT in Rendsburg Germany Allied Land Forces in Zealand LANDZEALAND in Ringsted Denmark Allied Air Forces Baltic Approaches AIRBALTAP in Karup Denmark Allied Naval Forces Baltic Approaches NAVBALTAP in Karup Denmark Allied Forces Central Europe AFCENT in Brunssum Netherlands Northern Army Group NORTHAG in Rheindahlen West Germany Central Army Group CENTAG in Heidelberg West Germany Allied Air Forces Central Europe AAFCE in Ramstein West Germany Second Allied Tactical Air Force 2 ATAF in Rheindahlen West Germany Fourth Allied Tactical Air Force 4 ATAF in Ramstein West Germany Allied Forces Southern Europe AFSOUTH in Naples Italy Allied Land Forces Southern Europe LANDSOUTH in Verona Italy Allied Land Forces South Eastern Europe LANDSOUTHEAST in Izmir Turkey Allied Air Forces Southern Europe AIRSOUTH in Naples Italy Fifth Allied Tactical Air Force 5 ATAF in Vicenza Italy Sixth Allied Tactical Air Force 6 ATAF in Izmir Turkey Allied Naval Forces Southern Europe NAVSOUTH in Naples Italy Naval Striking and Support Forces Southern Europe STRIKFORSOUTH afloat centered around US Sixth Fleet Allied Command Atlantic ACLANT led by Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic SACLANT in Norfolk United States 14 Eastern Atlantic Area EASTLANT in Northwood United Kingdom Northern Sub Area NORLANT in Rosyth United Kingdom Central Sub Area CENTLANT in Plymouth United Kingdom Submarine Force Eastern Atlantic SUBEASTLANT in Gosport United Kingdom Maritime Air Eastern Atlantic MAIREASTLANT in Northwood United Kingdom Maritime Air Northern Sub Area MAIRNORLANT in Rosyth United Kingdom Maritime Air Central Sub Area MAIRCENTLANT in Plymouth United Kingdom Island Command Iceland ISCOMICELAND in Keflavik Iceland Island Command Faroes ISCOMFAROES in Torshavn Faroe Islands Western Atlantic Area WESTLANT in Norfolk United States Ocean Sub Area OCEANLANT in Norfolk United States Canadian Atlantic Sub Area CANLANT in Halifax Canada Island Command Bermuda ISCOMBERMUDA in Hamilton Bermuda Island Command Azores ISCOMAZORES in Ponta Delgada Azores Island Command Greenland ISCOMGREENLAND in Gronnedal Greenland Submarine Force Western Atlantic SUBWESTLANT in Norfolk United States Iberian Atlantic Area IBERLANT in Oeiras Portugal Island Command Madeira ISCOMADEIRA in Funchal Madeira Striking Fleet Atlantic STRIKFLTLANT in Norfolk United States Carrier Striking Force CARSTRIKFOR in Norfolk United States Carrier Striking Group One CARSTRIKGRUONE in Norfolk United States Carrier Striking Group Two CARSTRIKGRUTWO in Plymouth United Kingdom Submarines Allied Command Atlantic SUBACLANT in Norfolk United States Allied Command Channel ACCHAN in Northwood United Kingdom Nore Sub Area Channel Command NORECHAN in Rosyth United Kingdom Plymouth Sub Area Channel Command PLYMCHAN in Plymouth United Kingdom Benelux Sub Area Channel Command BENECHAN in Den Helder Netherlands Allied Maritime Air Force Channel MAIRCHAN in Northwood United Kingdom Maritime Air Nore Sub Area Channel Command MAIRNORECHAN in Rosyth United Kingdom Maritime Air Plymouth Sub Area Channel Command MAIRPLYMCHAN in Plymouth United Kingdom Standing Naval Force Channel STANAVFORCHAN afloat After the Cold War edit By June 1991 it was clear that Allied Forces Central Europe a Major Subordinate Command could be reduced with the Soviet threat disappearing Six multinational corps were to replace the previous eight 15 Announcements in June 1991 presaged main defensive forces consisting of six multinational corps Two were to be under German command one with a U S division one under Belgian command with a pending offer of a U S brigade one under U S command with a German division one under joint German Danish command LANDJUT and one under Dutch command The new German IV Corps was to be stationed in Eastern Germany and was not to be associated with the NATO structure On 1 July 1994 the Alliance disestablished Allied Command Channel through retaining many of its subordinate structures after reshuffling Most of the headquarters were absorbed within ACE particularly within the new Allied Forces Northwestern Europe 16 nbsp NATO E 3A flying with United States Air Force F 16 Fighting Falcons in a NATO exercise From 1994 to 1999 ACE had three Major Subordinate Commands AFNORTHWEST AFCENT and AFSOUTH In 1995 NATO began a Long Term Study to examine post Cold War strategy and structure Recommendations from the study for a new streamlined structure emerged in 1996 17 The European and Atlantic commands were to be retained but the number of major commands in Europe was to be cut from three to two Regional Command North Europe and Regional Command South Europe Activation of the new RC SOUTH occurred in September 1999 and in March 2000 Headquarters AFNORTHWEST closed and the new RC NORTH was activated 18 The headquarters of the two Regional Commands were known as Regional Headquarters South RHQ South and RHQ NORTH respectively Each was to supervise air naval and land commands for their region as well as a number of Joint Subregional Commands JSRCs Among the new JSRCs was Joint Headquarters Southwest which was activated in Madrid in September 1999 Organizations and agencies edit Prior to the reorganization the NATO website listed 43 different agencies and organizations and five project committees offices as of 15 May 2008 19 They included Logistics committees organisations and agencies including NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency Central Europe Pipeline System NATO Pipeline System Production Logistics organisations agencies and offices including the NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency Standardisation organisation committee office and agency including the NATO Standardization Agency which also plays an important role in the global arena of standards determination Civil Emergency Planning committees and centre Air Traffic Management and Air Defence committees working groups organisation and centre including the NATO ACCS Management Agency NACMA based in Brussels manages around a hundred persons in charge of the Air Control and Command System ACCS due for 2009 NATO Programming Centre The NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control Programme Management Organisation NAPMO NATO Consultation Command and Control Organisation NC3O NATO Consultation Command and Control Agency NC3A 20 reporting to the NATO Consultation Command and Control Organization NC3O This agency was formed when the SHAPE Technical Centre STC in The Hague Netherlands merged in 1996 with the NATO Communications and Information Systems Operating and Support Agency NACISA based in Brussels Belgium The agency comprises around 650 staff of which around 400 are located in The Hague and 250 in Brussels NATO Communications and Information Systems Services Agency NCSA based in Mons BEL was established in August 2004 from the former NATO Communications and Information Systems Operating and Support Agency NACISA 21 NATO Headquarters C3 Staff NHQC3S which supports the North Atlantic Council Military Committee International Staff and the International Military Staff NATO Electronic Warfare Advisory Committee NEWAC Military Committee Meteorological Group MCMG The Military Oceanography Group MILOC NATO Research and Technology Organisation RTO 22 Education and Training college schools and group Project Steering Committees and Project Offices including Alliance Ground Surveillance Capability Provisional Project Office AGS PPO Battlefield Information Collection and Exploitation System BICES NATO Continuous Acquisition and Life Cycle Support Office CALS NATO FORACS Office Munitions Safety Information Analysis Center MSIAC Committee of Chiefs of Military Medical Services in NATO COMEDS Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic DIANA Civilian structure today editIn the twenty first century NATO has an extensive civilian structure including Public Diplomacy Division NATO Office of Security NOS Executive Management Division of Political Affairs and Security Policy Division of Operations Division of Defence Policy and Planning Division of Defence Investment NATO Office of Resources NOR NATO Headquarters Consultation Command and Control Staff NHQC3S Office of the Financial Controller FinCon Office of the Chairman of the Senior Resource Board SRB Office of the Chairman of the Civil and Military Budget Committees CBC MBC International Board of Auditors for NATO IBAN NATO Production and Logistics Organizations NPLO The Defence Planning Committee DPC is normally composed of Permanent Representatives but meets at the level of Defence Ministers at least twice a year It deals with most defence matters and subjects related to collective defence planning In this it serves as a coordinating body between the Civilian and Military organizational bureaucracies of NATO The Defence Planning Committee was a former senior decision making body on matters relating to the integrated military structure of the Alliance It was dissolved following a major committee review in June 2010 and its responsibilities absorbed by the North Atlantic Council and the Defence Policy and Planning Committee DPPC 23 Military command structure editNATO s military operations are directed by the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee and split into two Strategic Commands both long commanded by U S officers assisted by a staff drawn from across NATO The Strategic Commanders are responsible to the NATO Military Committee for the overall direction and conduct of all Alliance military matters within their areas of command On 12 June 2003 NATO ministers announced an end to the decades old structure of a command each for the Atlantic and Europe Allied Command Operations ACO was to be established responsible for the strategic operational and tactical management of combat and combat support forces of the NATO members and Allied Command Transformation ACT responsible for the induction of the new member states forces into NATO and NATO forces research and training capability 24 The European allies had become concerned about the possibility of a loosening of U S ties to NATO if there were no longer any U S led NATO HQ in the United States and the refocusing of the Atlantic command into a transformation command was the result 25 The alliance created several NATO Rapid Deployable Corps and naval High Readiness Forces HRFs which all report to Allied Command Operations In Europe the Regional Commands were replaced by JFC Brunssum and JFC Naples and the JSRCs disappeared though the Madrid JSRC became a land command for JFC Naples The commander of Allied Command Operations retained the title Supreme Allied Commander Europe and remains based at SHAPE at Casteau He is a U S four star general or admiral with the dual hatted role of heading United States European Command ACO includes Joint Force Command Brunssum in the Netherlands Joint Force Command Naples in Italy and Joint Force Command Lisbon in Portugal all multi national headquarters with many nations represented 26 From 2003 JFC Brunssum had its land component Allied Land Component Command Headquarters Heidelberg at Heidelberg Germany its air component Allied Air Command Ramstein at Ramstein in Germany and its naval component at the Northwood Headquarters in the northwest suburbs of London JFC Naples has its land component in Madrid air component at Izmir Turkey and its naval component Allied Maritime Command Naples in Naples Italy It also directed KFOR in Kosovo Joint Command Lisbon was a smaller HQ with no subordinate commands In 2012 2013 the Military Command Structure was reorganised Allied Force Command Madrid was disestablished on 1 July 2013 the Heidelberg force command also deactivated 27 the maritime component command at Naples was closed 28 and the air component command at Izmir also shut down 29 Allied Air Command Izmir was reorganised as Allied Land Command A number of NATO Force Structure formations such as the NATO Rapid Deployable Corps are answerable ultimately to SACEUR either directly or through the component commands 30 Directly responsible to SACEUR is the NATO Airborne Early Warning Force at NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen in Germany where a jointly funded fleet of Boeing E 3 Sentry Airborne early warning and control radar AWACS aircraft are located The Boeing C 17 Globemaster IIIs of the Strategic Airlift Capability which became fully operational in July 2009 are based at Papa airfield in Hungary However the Strategic Airlift Capability was later separated from NATO and is now an independent organisation though it still works closely with NATO Allied Command Transformation ACT is based in the former Allied Command Atlantic headquarters in Norfolk Virginia United States It is headed by the Supreme Allied Commander Transformation SACT a French officer There is also an ACT command element located at SHAPE in Mons Belgium In June 2009 Le Figaro named the French officer who was to take command of ACT following France s return to the NATO Military Command Structure 31 Subordinate ACT organizations include the Joint Warfare Centre JWC located in Stavanger Norway in the same site as the former Norwegian Armed Forces National Joint HQ the Joint Force Training Centre JFTC in Bydgoszcz Poland and the Joint Analysis and Lessons Learned Centre JALLC in Monsanto Portugal The NATO Undersea Research Centre NURC at La Spezia Italy was also part of ACT until it was shifted under the auspices of the NATO Science amp Technology Organization In early 2015 in the wake of the War in Donbass meetings of NATO ministers decided that Multinational Corps Northeast would be augmented so as to develop greater capabilities to if thought necessary prepare to defend the Baltic States and that a new Multinational Division Southeast would be established in Romania Six NATO Force Integration Units would also be established to coordinate preparations for defence of new Eastern members of NATO 32 Multinational Division Southeast was activated on 1 December 2015 33 Headquarters Multinational Division South East HQ MND SE is a North Atlantic Council NAC activated NATO military body under operational command OPCOM of Supreme Allied Commander Europe SACEUR which may be employed and deployed in peacetime crisis and operations On 25 April 2017 the commander designate of the new Multinational Division Northeast arrived at the headquarters location at Elblag Poland On 3 July 2017 the new division reached initial operational capability IOC 34 The division is tasked to coordinate the four NATO Enhanced Forward Presence battlegroups and to carry out Article 5 collective defence activities 35 In late 2017 early 2018 two new commands were approved a rear area transit command which was finally announced as the Joint Support and Enabling Command to be located at Ulm Germany and a new command for the Atlantic 36 In March 2018 Chair of the Military Committee General Petr Pavel announced that the new Atlantic command would become part of the NATO Command Structure at the level of a Joint Force Command similar to the two that exist at Brunssum and Naples On 7 June 2018 the Secretary General said the new joint forces command will have its headquarters in Norfolk Virginia in the United States 37 The name was confirmed as Joint Force Command Norfolk at the NATO Summit in July It was to be commanded by the vice admiral who leads the United States Second Fleet 38 On 15 July 2021 Joint Force Command Norfolk JFC NF attained Full operational capability FOC under the command of Vice Admiral Andrew Lewis 39 Canada US Regional Planning Group edit The Canada US Regional Planning Group CUSRPG is the only survivor of the originally five regional planning groups of the late 1940s and early 1950s 40 All the others were subsumed into Allied Command Europe and Allied Command Atlantic 41 In August 1953 it was tasked to a Prepare approve and forward to the Military Committee through the Standing Group plans for and other material pertaining to the defense of the Canada U S Region b Coordinate plans with SACLANT and other NATO Commands 42 The NATO Handbook stated in 1990s editions that it was responsible for the defence of the US Canada area and meets alternatively in Washington D C and Ottawa As such it appears to duplicate in part the work of the Permanent Joint Board on Defence NATO Networks editThere are several communications networks used by NATO to support its exercises and operations Battlefield Information Collection and Exploitation Systems BICES Crisis Response Operations in NATO Operating Systems CRONOS which is a system of interconnected computer networks used by NATO to transmit classified information at the level of NATO Secret Combined Federated Battle Laboratories Network CFBLNet which is a wide area network connecting the US the UK Canada Australia New Zealand six NATO countries and Sweden for sharing research and development information Organizations and agencies editA major reorganization of the NATO Agencies was agreed at a meeting of the defence ministers from NATO s 28 member states on 8 June 2011 The new Agencies structure would be built upon the existing one 43 Headquarters for the NATO Support Agency would be in Capellen Luxembourg site of the NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency NAMSA The NATO Communications and Information Agency Headquarters would be in Brussels as would be the very small staff which will design the new NATO Procurement Agency A new NATO Science and Technology Organization STO would be created before July 2012 consisting of Chief Scientist located in the Office of the Chief Scientist OCS a Programme Office for Collaborative S amp T the Collaboration Support Office CSO and the Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation CMRE previously named the NATO Undersea Research Centre The current NATO Standardization Agency would continue and be subject to review by Spring 2014 See also editNATO summitReferences edit NATO WEBSITE Archived from the original on 22 December 2015 NATO Handbook 50th Anniversary Edition NATO p 234 Archived from the original on 5 April 2017 Retrieved 4 April 2017 Sayle Timothy Andrews 10 September 2020 A nuclear education the origins of NATO s Nuclear Planning Group Journal of Strategic Studies 43 6 7 920 956 doi 10 1080 01402390 2020 1818560 ISSN 0140 2390 S2CID 225310096 NATO s Military Committee focused on operations capabilities and cooperation 1 dead link Chapter 6 The civilian structure NATO the first five years 1949 1954 NATO Archived from the original on 15 March 2017 Retrieved 3 January 2008 T D Young Reforming NATO s Military Structures 7 a b Dr Gregory W Pedlow Evolution of NATO s Command Structure 1951 2009 Archived 1 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine SUMMARY OF THE NATO MILITARY COMMAND STRUCTURE TERMS OF REFERENCES AND AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MAJOR NATO COMMANDERS AND THEIR IMMEDIATE SUBORDINATE COMMANDERS Archived from the original on 5 April 2017 Retrieved 4 April 2017 Sean Maloney To Secure Command of the Sea University of New Brunswick thesis 1991 p 258 261 Chapter 7 The Military Structure NATO the first five years 1949 1954 NATO Archived from the original on 15 March 2017 Retrieved 3 January 2008 Chapter 7 The Military Structure Atlantic Command NATO the first five years 1949 1954 NATO Archived from the original on 15 March 2017 Retrieved 3 January 2008 Chapter 7 The Military Structure Channel Command and Channel Committee NATO the first five years 1949 1954 NATO Archived from the original on 10 January 2008 Retrieved 3 September 2008 NATO the first five years 1949 1954 NATO Archived from the original on 15 March 2017 Retrieved 4 April 2017 Revised Terms of Reference for SACLANT PDF NATO Archives NATO Standing Committee Archived PDF from the original on 2 December 2017 Retrieved 26 September 2016 Barbara Starr Cold War Battle Orders Make Way for a New NATO Era Jane s Defence Weekly 8 June 1991 Thomas Durrell Young Command in NATO After the Cold War Alliance National and Multinational Considerations Archived 20 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine U S Army Strategic Studies Institute 1 June 1997 11 citing JDW 17 July 1993 Pedlow 12 T D Young NATO After 2000 16 18 NATO Organizations and Agencies Archived 15 April 2011 at the Wayback Machine accessed May 2008 Service Desk www nc3a nato int Archived from the original on 14 January 2009 Retrieved 14 May 2019 NATO Communication and Information Systems Agency Archived 2008 04 21 at the Wayback Machine NATO Research amp Technology Organization Archived from the original on 28 February 2009 Retrieved 14 May 2019 Defence Planning Committee DPC Archived Espen Barth Eide Frederic Bozo Spring 2005 Should NATO play a more political role Nato Review NATO Archived from the original on 12 July 2007 Retrieved 15 July 2007 Pedlow 13 14 Allied Command Operations Military Command Structure Archived 20 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine Vandiver John 30 November 2012 NATO Activates Allied Land Command Stars and Stripes Archived from the original on 5 February 2013 Retrieved 2 February 2013 Deactivation ceremony of Allied Maritime Command Naples Headquarters Allied Joint Force Command Naples Archived from the original on 14 July 2014 Retrieved 16 April 2013 NATO deactivates allied air command Izmir headquarters Turkey NATO Archived from the original on 14 July 2014 Retrieved 16 April 2013 High Readiness Forces and Headquarters in the NATO Force Structure Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe Retrieved 18 January 2024 in French LeFigaro fr Archived 13 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine accessed June 2009 BBC NATO Readjusts as Ukraine Crisis Looms Archived 22 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine 5 February 2015 NATO Activates New Multinational Division Southeast Headquarters in Bucharest Romania NATO Headquarters Belgium 1 December 2015 Archived from the original on 19 March 2017 Retrieved 26 May 2017 Multinational Division North East Multinational Division North East Headquarters achieved Initial Capability mndne wp mil pl Archived from the original on 1 April 2018 Retrieved 1 April 2018 Multinational Division North East Mission mndne wp mil pl Archived from the original on 1 April 2018 Retrieved 1 April 2018 Mehta Aaron 14 February 2018 US Germany likely home to new NATO commands NATO Opinion Press conference by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg following the meeting of the North Atlantic Council NAC in Defence Ministers session 07 Jun 2018 Archived from the original on 14 June 2018 Retrieved 16 June 2018 Babb Carla 6 August 2018 US Navy s Top Admiral Cites Increased Threat in Ocean Nearest Washington voanews com Archived from the original on 5 October 2018 Retrieved 12 August 2018 Megan Eckstein 15 Jul 2021 As new NATO command becomes fully operational top US military officer issues warning over great power war Final Communique of the First Session of the North Atlantic Council Terms of Reference and Organisation Archived 19 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine 17 September 1949 retrieved from NATO int October 2013 Sean Moloney thesis Annex L to Enclosure B Summary of the NATO Military Command Structure and Terms of Reference and Areas of Responsibility of Major NATO Commanders and their Immediate Subordinate Commanders Archived 20 May 2018 at the Wayback Machine SGM 1180 53 3 August 1953 Jorge Benitez Details of NATO s new agency structure Archived 2012 03 30 at the Wayback Machine NATO Source 9 June 2011 Retrieved 10 June 2011 Sources edit Hastings Ismay 1st Baron Ismay 1954 NATO The First Five Years Paris NATO Retrieved 4 April 2017 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint numeric names authors list link Pedlow Dr Gregory W Evolution of NATO s Command Structure 1951 2009 PDF aco nato int Brussels NATO ACO Retrieved 18 February 2015 Further reading editJohn Borawski Thomas Durell Young NATO After 2000 The Future of the Euro Atlantic Alliance Dr Thomas Durell Young Reforming NATO s Military Structures The Long Term Study and Its Implications for Land Forces Strategic Studies Institute 1 May 1998 Often taken for granted the Alliance s integrated command structure provides the basis for NATO s collective defense and increasingly as seen in Bosnia its ability to undertake peace support operations However the very value by which nations hold the structure has resulted in a difficult and time consuming reorganization process which has produced only limited reforms Dr Thomas Durell Young Multinational Land Formations and NATO Reforming Practices and Structures Strategic Studies Institute 1 December 1997 Reduced national force structures new NATO roles and missions emanating from the military implementation of Alliance Strategy and the rapid reaction requirements associated with the embryonic Combined Joint Task Forces CJTF concept are but three of a multitude of inter related issues The current official reference for the NATO Military Command Structure appears to be MC 324 1 The NATO Military Command Structure May 2004 and a successor MC 324 2 The previous issue was MC 324 issued on 6 January 1999 NATO Office of Information and Press NATO Handbook Fiftieth Anniversary Edition NATO Brussels 1998 99 Second Reprint ISBN 92 845 0134 2External links edit Background on NATO Command Structure Review PDF NATO June 2011 Retrieved 7 April 2021 Atlantic Council of the United States August 2003 Transforming the NATO Military Command Structure A New Framework for Managing the Alliance s Future PDF Archived from the original PDF on 3 October 2012 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Structure of NATO amp oldid 1221060191 Military structure, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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