British soldiers attend the Estonian Defense Forces annual Spring Storm training exercises in May. The UK has proposed a NATO expeditionary force to work with the Baltic nations and the Netherlands, Norway and Denmark. (RAIGO PAJULA/ / AFP)
Written by
PIERRE TRAN
FILED UNDER
DEFREG
Europe
PARIS — Britain expects to sign at the upcoming NATO summit meeting a letter of intent with six partner nations to form a joint expeditionary force, separate from the alliance’s plan to forge a very high readiness force to act as spearhead for the NATO response force, British officials said Sept. 1.
Both projects stem from the deepening Ukraine crisis, as NATO members and partner nations in Eastern Europe and the Nordic states seek to counter a rise in the perceived military threat from Russia.
Leaders of the 28 NATO members and partner states are due to meet on Sept. 4 and 5 in the Welsh city Newport, the first summit to be held in Britain since 1990, just as the Cold War ended and Margaret Thatcher was the UK prime minister.
Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko will be at the summit, but Russian leader Vladimir Putin will not, a British official said.
The British plan runs in parallel to a German framework nation initiative, in which Berlin will work with some 10 East European partner nations to boost their capabilities, the officials said.
The British-led joint expeditionary force would work with the Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and with the Netherlands, Norway and Denmark. Britain would focus on operations and train small units, drawing on its experience with France in forming a joint expeditionary force.
The British-led force would be separate but complementary to the NATO very high readiness force outlined Sept. 1 by alliance chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
The alliance plans to set up a “spearhead” to the NATO rapid force, led under a six-month country rotation and consisting of several thousand troops, with air, sea and special forces support, Rasmussen said. The plan would establish reception facilities, prepositioned equipment and supplies, command and control, and logistics exports, Rasmussen said.
“The aim is to travel light, but strike hard if needed,” he said. “We must face the reality that Russia does not consider NATO a partner. We can see in Russian military documents, we can listen to statements from Russian political leaders that they consider NATO an adversary. …We will adapt to that situation,” he said.
The issue of the French sale of the two Mistral helicopter carriers to Russia is not on the summit agenda, a British official said.
UK Proposes Joint NATO Expeditionary Force | C4ISR & Networks | c4isrnet.com
Written by
PIERRE TRAN
FILED UNDER
DEFREG
Europe
PARIS — Britain expects to sign at the upcoming NATO summit meeting a letter of intent with six partner nations to form a joint expeditionary force, separate from the alliance’s plan to forge a very high readiness force to act as spearhead for the NATO response force, British officials said Sept. 1.
Both projects stem from the deepening Ukraine crisis, as NATO members and partner nations in Eastern Europe and the Nordic states seek to counter a rise in the perceived military threat from Russia.
Leaders of the 28 NATO members and partner states are due to meet on Sept. 4 and 5 in the Welsh city Newport, the first summit to be held in Britain since 1990, just as the Cold War ended and Margaret Thatcher was the UK prime minister.
Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko will be at the summit, but Russian leader Vladimir Putin will not, a British official said.
The British plan runs in parallel to a German framework nation initiative, in which Berlin will work with some 10 East European partner nations to boost their capabilities, the officials said.
The British-led joint expeditionary force would work with the Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and with the Netherlands, Norway and Denmark. Britain would focus on operations and train small units, drawing on its experience with France in forming a joint expeditionary force.
The British-led force would be separate but complementary to the NATO very high readiness force outlined Sept. 1 by alliance chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
The alliance plans to set up a “spearhead” to the NATO rapid force, led under a six-month country rotation and consisting of several thousand troops, with air, sea and special forces support, Rasmussen said. The plan would establish reception facilities, prepositioned equipment and supplies, command and control, and logistics exports, Rasmussen said.
“The aim is to travel light, but strike hard if needed,” he said. “We must face the reality that Russia does not consider NATO a partner. We can see in Russian military documents, we can listen to statements from Russian political leaders that they consider NATO an adversary. …We will adapt to that situation,” he said.
The issue of the French sale of the two Mistral helicopter carriers to Russia is not on the summit agenda, a British official said.
UK Proposes Joint NATO Expeditionary Force | C4ISR & Networks | c4isrnet.com
). Its just Russia recent actions that has kind of wake us up in Europe to resume our defence policy and be more pro active instead instead of always relying on the U.S which has other commitments in Asia,middl east and the world.
