Six functional areas The International Military Staff (IMS) The Military Committee oversees several of the IMS operations and missions including: The IMS supports the Military Committee, with about Plans and Policy ➤ International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan (ISAF). 500 dedicated military and civilian personnel working in Since NATO took command of ISAF in 2003, its responsibilities Responsible for strategic level plans an international capacity for the common interest of the and policies, and defence/force have evolved from forward-leaning roles such as protecting the Alliance, rather than on behalf of their country of origin. planning, including working with Afghan people and degrading the insurgency toward supporting Nations to determine national military Under the direction of the Director General, Air Marshal roles such as training, advising and assisting the Afghan National levels of ambition regarding force Sir Christopher Harper, the staff prepare assessments, Security Forces who, in turn, are steadily taking the lead for security goals and contributions to NATO. evaluations and reports on all issues that form the basis in more and more areas of Afghanistan. By mid-2013, the Afghan of discussion and decisions in the Military Committee. National Security Forces entered the final stage of taking the lead NATO’s Military Operations for security across the entire country, and ISAF entered the final Closely tracks current operations, The IMS is also responsible for planning, assessing stage in its shift from a combat to a support role. NATO will remain staffs operational planning, follows and recommending policy on military matters for committed to Afghanistan beyond 2014. The post-2014, NATO-led NATO exercises and training, and is consideration by the Military Committee, and for mission in Afghanistan will be different from the ISAF mission, and Operation ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR is NATO’s Committee responsible for issues involving NATO ensuring their policies and decisions are implemented the force will be significantly smaller in size. Its main focus will be maritime surveillance and escort operation air defence. as directed. This staff is the essential link between to train, advise and assist the Afghan National Security Forces. in the fight against terrorism. Based in the Mediterranean Sea, the force, which is Cooperation and Regional Security the decision-making bodies of the Alliance, the two ➤ Kosovo Force (KFOR). Since June 1999, NATO has led a provided by several Nations, including for a Strategic Commanders, national military delegations peacekeeping operation in Kosovo. Initially composed of 50,000 while by Russia and Ukraine, has hailed more Main military contact with the troops following the March 1999 air campaign, the force now than 115,000 vessels. focused on operations, 22 Partners in the Euro-Atlantic from NATO and Partner countries working in Brussels, numbers about 5,100 consisting of NATO member and Partner Partnership Council (EAPC), and the civilian International Staff that support the Nation contributions. the NATO-Russia Council (NRC), Secretary General and the North Atlantic Council. capabilities, cooperation, the NATO-Ukraine Commission (NUC), ➤ Operation OCEAN SHIELD (OOS). The Alliance’s counter piracy the NATO-Georgia Commission (NGC), mission in the Gulf of Aden and the Somali Basin is being the 7 Mediterranean Dialogue (MD) conducted with several ships and air assets, in close coordination and transformation Nations, the 4 Istanbul Cooperation with many international actors. Initiative (ICI) Nations, and with other non-member, non-Partner countries ➤ Operation ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR (OAE). The Alliance’s only with whom NATO has relations or Article V mission, conducts counter terrorism operations in the contact. Mediterranean with the participation of Partner Nations and the increasing involvement of the Mediterranean Dialogue countries. Logistics and Resources ➤ NATO deployment of Patriot Missiles to Turkey. Six Patriot missile All matters concerning logistics, batteries are currently operating under NATO command and Conducting counter-piracy operations in armaments, research and control in Southern Turkey in order to augment Turkey’s air the Horn of Africa under Operation OCEAN development, medical, civil emergency (ISAF Photo) SHIELD. defence capabilities to defend its population and territory. planning, and management of Alliance Zabul Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) personnel military financial resources and and 101st Airborne Division soldiers speak to village elders ➤ NATO also provides assistance to the African Union Mission in personnel. from Bowlan Kalay, Afghanistan, and are about to hand out Somalia (AMISOM) and capacity building support to its long-term humanitarian aid supplies. peacekeeping capabilities, in particular the African Standby Force. Intelligence Provides strategic intelligence support, ➤ NATO Air Policing missions in the Baltic States and the Balkans including gathering, assessing and contribute to the air space management by scrambling at short distributing intelligence received notice and take deterrent actions against trespassers. from member countries and NATO ➤ About 90 NATO military personnel in Sarajevo, Skopje and Grapgics & Printing 0823-14 NATO Commands. Belgrade also assist with defence and security reform. NATO Consultation, Command and Control Gives advice on communications International Military Staff and information systems, standards, products, and analysis. Afghan children from the village of Sayad Pacha in For more information contact: southern Afghanistan, use a water pump funded by the the Public Affairs Office, International Military Staff, NATO HQ, 1110 Brussels – Belgium military’s civil-military cooperation section. e-mail: dims.deppia@hq.nato.int www.nato.int The Military Committee (MC) Six steps to agreed military advice The NATO Military Decision-Making Process When NATO political authorities are considering NATO’s highest military authority is composed of the Chiefs of military action, such as the ISAF operation in Defence of all 28 member countries. They meet at least three times Afghanistan, a critical part of the information a year as a group. On a day-to-day basis, their work is carried out needed to reach informed decisions that all by permanent Military Representatives at NATO HQ in Brussels. Nations can agree to, comes from its military North Atlantic Council They meet one to four times a week in formal and informal sessions authorities. The North Atlantic Council receives Defence Planning Committee to discuss, deliberate and act on matters of military importance, regular briefings and reports, and at each key Nuclear Planning Group working in the best interests of the Alliance, while at the same time stage the Military Committee is called on to give [Secretary General] representing national perspectives and positions. advice, and to provide direction to NATO Military Authorities. takes political decisions and gives political guidance The Military Committee provides the North Atlantic Council (NAC), Step 1. The North Atlantic Council tasks the NATO’s highest political authority, with consensus-based military 6 General Knud Bartels, the current chairman of the Military Military Committee to produce military advice that advice - that is, advice agreed by all Chiefs of Defence. It works Committee, is the most senior military authority of the Alliance. can be agreed by all 28 NATO Chiefs of Defence. closely with the two Strategic Commanders1 to bring plans, issues Nominated by NATO’s Chiefs of Defence, he chairs all the 1 meetings of the Military Committee and acts in an international Step 2. The International Military Staff, in support and recommendations forward for political consideration. In turn, it capacity. NATO’s Chiefs of Defence meet at least three times a gives clear military direction to the Strategic Commanders based on year, and on a day-to-day basis work through permanent Military of the Military Committee, translates the political Political Committees Military Committee guidance into military direction and tasks one or [Chairman] Military Committee and North Atlantic Council decisions. Representatives in NATO HQ in Brussels. both Strategic Commands for their best military provide political advice and policy guidance The Military Committee represents a tremendous amount of advice on how to organise and conduct what has provides consensus-based military been asked for, including an assessment of the advice and translates political specialized knowledge and experience that informs Alliance-wide guidance into military direction personnel and financial resources required. military policies, strategies and plans, and is a key part of the NATO 3 decision-making process. Step 3. The input from the Strategic Command(s) is provided to the Military Committee (i.e. to the 1 The overall planning and direction of all NATO operations rests with the Supreme Allied Nations) for consideration, usually with an initial Commander Europe (SACEUR), who works from Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe assessment by the International Military Staff. (SHAPE) Headquarters in Mons, Belgium. Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT), Working Groups working from Norfolk, U.S., is responsible for enhancing NATO military capabilities, developing concepts, policies, and joint NATO training. Step 4. The Military Representatives provide their response and advice from a national standpoint. 28 national military delegations views need to converge into consensus advice that International Staff International work with IMS to troubleshoot 4 5 issues The Role of the Chairman can be passed on to the North Atlantic Council. Military Staff The Military Committee’s principal role is to provide direction the executive agent Step 5. Consensus is rarely achieved supporting the Council the executive agent of The Chairman of the Military Committee is elected by the NATO and advice on military policy and strategy. It is responsible for recommending to NATO’s political authorities those measures immediately on complex undertakings, and and its committees the Military Committee Chiefs of Defence, normally for a three-year term. He represents considered necessary for the common defence of the NATO working groups meet regularly to troubleshoot and their consensus-based views as the principal military adviser to area and for the implementation of decisions regarding work through issues. Staff from national military political-military coordination NATO’s operations and missions. the Secretary General, the North Atlantic Council and other senior delegations work with subject matter experts NATO organisations. He guides the Military Committee’s agenda and under an IMS Chairman. 2 deliberations, listening to views and working to reconcile divergent Step 6. The final agreed product, together with Strategic Commanders national positions or policy differences to fashion advice that all the initial advice from the Strategic Command(s), [SACEUR & SACT] can agree to. Each Nation has an equal voice in discussions and is then sent to the North Atlantic Council to inform decisions, as all Member Nations provide the personnel and the their deliberations, consultations and decision- give their best military advice to financial resources needed to conduct NATO operations and other making. This is a continuous process for every the MC and the NAC activities. activity, be it an operational plan, a conceptual paper or a policy proposal. As the Alliance’s top officer and most senior military spokesperson, General Knud Bartels (Danish Army), the current Chairman, regularly Operations Transformation visits operations and Allied and Partner countries to explain NATO’s role and military work, and to maximize NATO military capabilities and efficiencies. He is assisted by the Deputy Chairman, Lt. General Mark O.Schissler (US Air Force). Chairman of the Military Committee General Knud Bartels (left) talking to General Jean-Paul Paloméros (French Air Two-way arrows show continuous circle Force), Supreme Allied Commander Transformation. of consultation and guidance.