The NATO Advantage: Strategic Anticipation and Adaptation

Abstract

Abstract : Since its formation in 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has been challenged and tested on numerous occasions. Arguably, its greatest test came at the abrupt and unanticipated conclusion of the Cold War. The Alliance was faced with a dramatically altered European and world security environment in political, military and economic terms. After 40 years as a Cold War icon, there were many experts and analysts who questioned the Organization's purpose and relevance. Could NATO adapt to and manage the remarkable change occurring nonstop around them? NATO's enduring strength however, has always been its ability to anticipate and adapt to change. It has historically adhered to a very effective adaptation philosophy that had become inherent to the Organization through the years. That philosophy was formalized, developed and adopted as an Adaptation Strategy in the early 1990's. The general intent of the Adaptation Strategy was to shape the Alliance to make it more effective in its ability to deal with new and evolving security challenges of the post-Cold War era. This paper examines NATO's Adaptation Strategy, its major components, and their effectiveness in shaping and dealing with today's global transnational security environment. Understanding the components of the Adaptation Strategy is absolutely critical. Their success will ultimately determine the relevance and strength of the Alliance as it moves into the new millennium.