Operational Implications of the NATO Strategic Concept 2010 for European Countries in NATO and the EU

Multinational operations under the direction of both the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU) have become the norm rather than the exception. In the light of an emerging partnership between both organizations, this paper analyzes the NATO Strategic Concept 2010 and assesses it consequences for the operational level or war and effective operational art in multinational operations. In the light of changed fiscal realities in Europe, this paper identifies a widening strategic military capability gap between the United States and European countries and an increasing divergence between multinational ambitions and the reality of national military capability planning. The most significant outcomes for effective operational art in multinational operations are the following. First, the operational level of war needs to integrate civilian planning in campaign design, which requires an adaptation of NATO’s command structure and NATO’s operational level doctrine with the aim to bridge to and take advantage of EU civilian competencies in this field. Second, the study agues for an adaption of existing NATO standardization agreement provisions for efficient operational logistics in multinational operations and enhanced tactical military training among European countries. This will require, third, a high effort in armament cooperation to make military equipment more interoperable. In this field, the European Defense Agency has great potential to become key actor.