NATO - Standardization of Equipment Now and in the Future.
Abstract
The issue of standardization and interoperability within NATO is complex and emotional. NATO has just celebrated its 37th year as a successful defensive alliance and has been successful in its ability to cooperate economically and, in most cases, politically. More importantly, it has succeeded in deterring the Warsaw Pact, primarily through a strategy of nuclear deterrence. However, it has failed to provide a strong conventional defense primarily because of a lack of defense spending by member countries. The conventional force can be improved not only through additional defense spending but also through the cooperative effort of standardization and interoperability of equipment. The NATO nations, in December 1983, decided that it was important to know and understand what was needed to meet the Warsaw Pact threat up to the year 2005. In response, the Conceptual Military Framework (CMF) was designed which outlined the threat and what is needed to accommodate the recent proliferation of new initiatives (primarily, Follow-On-Forces Attack (FOFA)) and emerging technologies with the existing strategy and available resources. NATO has continued to improve its cooperative efforts in standardization and interoperability by exchanging technologies, working together as nations to build equipment, such as the Tornado aircraft, and working together to share emerging technologies.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 14, 1986
- Accession Number
- ADA168472
Entities
People
- Timothy C. Scobie
Organizations
- United States Army War College