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NATO handbook02 uploaded March 25, 1993

11. CONSULTATIONS ON NUCLEAR ISSUES

The fundamental purpose of the nuclear forces of the Allies is political: to preserve peace and prevent coercion and any kind of war. They continue to fulfil an essential role by ensuring uncertainty in the mind of any potential aggressor about the nature of the Allies' response to military aggression. They demonstrate that aggression of any kind is not a rational option. The supreme guarantee of the security of the Allies is provided by the strategic nuclear forces of the Alliance, particularly those of the United States; the independent nuclear forces of the United Kingdom and France, which have a deterrent role of their own, contribute to the overall deterrence and security of the Allies.

A credible Alliance nuclear posture and the demonstra- tion of Alliance solidarity and common commitment to war prevention require widespread participation by the European Allies involved in collective defence planning, in nuclear roles, in peacetime basing of nuclear forces on their territory and in command, control and consultation arrangements. Nuclear forces based in Europe and com- mitted to NATO provide an essential political and military link between the European and the North American members of the Alliance.

The Defence Ministers of member countries which take part in NATO's Defence Planning Committee come together at regular intervals each year in the Nuclear Plan- ning Group which meets specifically to discuss policy issues associated with nuclear forces. These discussions cover policy and deployment issues, reductions in force levels, nuclear arms control and wider questions of common concern such as nuclear proliferation. The Alli- ance's nuclear policy is kept under continuous review and decisions are taken jointly to modify or adapt it in the light of developments - for example, the decisions taken in 1991 to eliminate whole categories of nuclear forces no longer considered to be necessary and to make major reductions in nuclear weapons in other categories.

While the issues involved in the formulation and implementaton of NATO's policy with regard to nuclear forces are discussed in the Nuclear Planning Group, in the present circumstances the likelihood of the Alliance being forced to contemplate the employment of nuclear weapons for its defence is extremely remote. However, in such circumstances, the ultimate decision on employ- ment would lie with the nuclear powers owning the weapons.

12. ECONOMIC COOPERATION

The basis for economic cooperation within the Alliance stems from Article 2 of the North Atlantic Treaty which states that the member countries ``will seek to eliminate conflict in their international economic policies and will encourage economic collaboration between any or all of them''. NATO's Economics Committee, which was estab- lished to promote cooperation in this field, is the only Alliance forum concerned exclusively with consultations on economic developments with a direct bearing on secu- rity policy. Analyses and joint assessments of security- related economic developments are key ingredients in the coordination of defence planning within the Alliance. They cover matters such as comparisons of military spend- ing, developments within the defence industry, the avail- ability of resources for the implementation of defence plans, intra-Alliance trade in defence equipment and economic cooperation and assistance between member countries.

The premise on which economic cooperation within the Alliance is founded is that political cooperation and economic conflict are irreconcilable and that there must therefore be a genuine desire among the members to work together in the economic as well as in the political field and a readiness to consult on questions of common concern based on the recognition of common interests.

The member countries recognise that in many respects the purposes and principles of Article 2 of the Treaty are pursued and implemented by other organisations and international forums specifically concerned with econ- omic cooperation. NATO therefore avoids unnecessary du- plication of work carried out elsewhere but reinforces collaboration between its members whenever economic issues of special interest to the Alliance are involved, particularly those which have political or defence implica- tions. The Alliance therefore acts as a forum in which different and inter-related aspects of political, military and economic questions can be examined. It also provides the means whereby specific action in the economic field can be initiated to safeguard common Alliance interests. Recognising that Alliance security depends on the econ- omic stability and well-being of all its members as well as on political cohesion and military cooperation, studies were therefore initiated in the 1970's, for example, on the specific economic problems of Greece, Portugal and Turkey. These resulted in special action by NATO govern- ments to assist the less prosperous members of the Alli- ance by means of major aid programmes implemented largely through other organisations such as the Organisa- tion for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The special economic problems and prospects of these countries continue to be closely monitored.

In the context of the Alliance's overall security inter- ests, a wide range of other economic issues may have a bearing on collective security. This includes matters such as the conversion of defence production to civilian pur- poses, defence expenditures/budgets, industrial perform- ance, consumer and agriculture problems, population movements and external economic relations - particularly with respect to the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the independent states on the territory of the former Soviet Union. Analyses and joint studies of issues such as these have contributed for many years to NATO's assessment of the security environment affecting its coordi- nated defence plans. Increasingly they form part of the wider approach to security issues adopted by the Alliance as a result of the fundamental changes which have taken place in Europe. As one of the areas for increased cooper- ation between the members of the Alliance and their cooper- ation partners foreseen in the Declaration issued by NATO Heads of State and Government in Rome in November 1991, economic topics can be expected to be the subject of broader exchanges of information and assessments in the future. In accordance with the Work Plan for Dialogue, Partnership and Cooperation issued in March 1992, joint work with NATO's cooperation partners is taking place, for example, on defence conver- sion and the inter-relationship of defence expenditure and budgets with the economy. Cooperation partners were also represented in NATO's 1992 Economics Collo- quium and Defence Economics Workshop.

13. PUBLIC INFORMATION

Public recognition of the achievements of the Alliance and of its continuing role in the post-Cold War era is fundamental to the continued success of the Alliance and its ability to carry out its basic tasks, while expanding and deepening its relations with former adversaries with whom it has now established a new partnership based on cooperation, dialogue and common security interests. The responsibility for explaining national defence and security policy and each member country's own role within the Alliance rests with each individual government. The choice of the methods to be adopted and the resources to be devoted to the task of informing their publics about the policies and objectives of the Alliance is also a matter for each member nation to decide.

The role of NATO's Office of Information and Press is therefore to complement the public information activities undertaken within each country, providing whatever as- sistance may be required, and to manage the Organisa- tion's day-to-day relations with the media. In accordance with the Work Plan for Dialogue, Partnership and Co- operation issued in March 1992, it is also contributing to the widespread dissemination of information about NATO in the countries participating in the North Atlantic Co- operation Council.

To meet these requirements the Office of Information and Press produces information materials such as period- ical and non-periodical publications, videos, photographs and exhibitions. It also administers a major programme of visits which brings over 20,000 people to NATO Head- quarters each year, for briefings by and discussions with experts from the International Staff, International Mili- tary Staff and national Delegations, on all aspects of the Alliance's work and policies. Conferences and seminars on security-related themes are also organised both at NATO and elsewhere, often involving security specialists, parliamentarians, journalists, church leaders, trade union- ists, academics, students or youth organisations.

The NATO Office of Information and Press also spon- sors two types of Research Fellowship Programmes; the first, which has existed since 1956, awards grants to post- graduates and other qualified citizens of member coun- tries to stimulate study and research into subjects of relevance to the Alliance; the second, introduced in 1989, makes awards to citizens of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe for the study of Western democratic institutions. An annual Atlantic Award is also organised for outstanding service to the Alliance by private citizens from member countries. This award is presented by the Secretary General on the recommendation of an inde- pendent jury.

The role of managing day-to-day relations with the media is covered by the Press and Media Service, which is responsible for channelling official policy statements and announcements to journalists, arranging interviews with the Secretary General and other senior officials of the Organisation and dealing with enquiries and visits from the media.

The Work Plan for developing the dialogue, partner- ship and cooperation in the information field with Central and Eastern European countries and other members of the North Atlantic Cooperation Council, includes joint meetings, dissemination of information through diplo- matic liaison channels and NATO embassies, group visits to NATO, sponsorship of seminar participation in Allied countries, co-sponsorship of seminars in Central and Eastern Europe, speakers' tours, a limited expansion of the Democratic Institutions Fellowships Programme, special publications and wider dissemination of NATO documentation.

There are a number of non-governmental organisations which support NATO and play an important role, often in an educational capacity, in disseminating information about Alliance goals and policies. The NATO Office of Information and Press assists them in this work. These organisations include national Atlantic Committees or Associations in each member country, as well as a number of other bodies such as the North Atlantic Assembly, which brings together Parliamentarians from member countries, and the Interallied Confederation of Reserve Officers, in which twelve member countries are repre- sented. Further information about these organisations is given in Part V.

14. THE COMMON INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAMME

Installations of many different kinds are needed to enable military forces to train effectively and to be ready to operate efficiently if called upon to do so. The NATO Common Infrastructure Programme enables the installa- tions and facilities required by the Major NATO Com- manders for the training and operational use of the forces assigned to them to be financed collectively by the partici- pating countries. Such funding takes place within agreed limits and in accordance with agreed NATO procedures on the basis of cost-sharing arrangements developed to dis- tribute the burden and benefits as equitably as possible. The programme provides for installations and facilities such as airfields, communications and information sys- tems, military headquarters, fuel pipelines and storage, radar and navigational aids, port installations, missile sites, forward storage and support facilities for reinforce- ment, etc. Infrastructure used only by national forces, or portions of installations which do not come within the criteria for NATO common-funding, are financed by the governments concerned. Contracts for installations desig- nated as NATO Infrastructure are normally subject to international competitive bidding procedures on the basis of cost estimates, screened by the NATO Infrastructure Payments and Progress Committee, to ensure compliance with agreed specifications as well as maximum efficiency and economy. Aspects of such contracts which can best be undertaken locally are usually exempt from this pro- cedure and are subject to national competitive bidding, but the principle is maintained and exemption has to be approved. Completed projects are subject to inspection by teams consisting of experts from the country on whose territory the installation is located, user countries, and NATO International Staff and Military Authorities. The programme is continuously monitored by the NATO Infrastructure Committees and all financial operations are audited by the NATO International Board of Audi- tors under the authority of the North Atlantic Council. The Infrastructure Programme is being adapted to meet the requirements of the Alliance's new Strategic Concept published in November 1991.

15. LOGISTIC SUPPORT

There are many spheres of civilian and military activity which have a direct or indirect bearing on the common security of the member countries of the Alliance. The assistance available to defence forces to enable them to fulfil their roles includes, for example, providing shared access to the logistic support which they need if they are to function effectively. Each member country is respons- ible for ensuring, individually or through cooperative arrangements, the continuous support of its own forces. Coordinated logistics planning is therefore an essential aspect of the efficient and economical use of resources. Examples of cooperative arrangements include the common funding of logistics facilities under the NATO Infrastructure Programme, the coordination of civil logistics resources under Civil Emergency Planning arrangements and logistics aspects of armaments produc- tion and procurement. It is through such arrangements that the availability of the necessary installations, storage and maintenance facilities, transport resources, vehicles, weapons, ammunition, fuel supplies, and stocks of spare parts can be coordinated.

Cooperation in these fields is coordinated through the Senior NATO Logisticians' Conference. A number of pro- duction and logistics organisations have also been estab- lished to manage specific aspects of the support needed by NATO forces on a permanent basis, including the Central Europe Operating Agency responsible for the operation and maintenance of the Central Europe Pipe- line System; and the NATO Maintenance and Supply Organisation which assists member countries primarily through the common procurement and supply of spare parts and the provision of maintenance and repair facili- ties.

16. ARMAMENTS COOPERATION

Responsibility for equipping and maintaining military forces rests with the member nations of NATO and in most spheres research, development and production of equip- ment are organised by each country in accordance with its national requirements and its commitments to NATO. Since the establishment of the Alliance, however, exten- sive coordination and cooperation in the field of arma- ments has taken place within NATO. Armaments cooper- ation remains an important means of achieving the crucial political, military and resource advantages of collective de- fence.

NATO armaments cooperation is organised under a Con- ference of National Armaments Directors which meets on a regular basis to consider political, economic and technical aspects of the development and procurement of equipment for NATO forces. Army, navy and air force armaments groups, a defence research group and a tri- service group on communications and electronics, support the work of the Conference and are responsible to it in their respective fields. Assistance on industrial matters is provided by a NATO Industrial Advisory Group which enables the Conference of National Armaments Directors to benefit from industry's advice on how to foster government-to-industry and industry-to-industry cooper- ation and assists the Conference in exploring opportuni- ties for international collaboration. Other groups under the Conference are active in fields such as defence procure- ment policy and acquisition practices, codification, qual- ity assurance, test and safety criteria, and materiel stand- ardization.

Within the above structure project groups, panels, work- ing and ad hoc groups are established to promote cooper- ation in specific fields. The overall structure enables member countries to select the equipment and research projects in which they wish to participate and facilitates exchange of information on operational concepts, na- tional equipment programmes and technical and logistics matters where cooperation can be of benefit to individual nations and to NATO as a whole.

17. ARMAMENTS PLANNING

In order to give NATO armaments cooperation a new impulse, in 1989 the North Atlantic Council approved the establishment of a Conventional Armaments Planning System (CAPS). The aims of this system are to provide guidance to the CNAD and orientation to the nations on how the military requirements of the Alliance can best be met by armaments programmes, individually and collec- tively; to harmonise longer-term defence procurement plans; and to identify future opportunities for armaments cooperation on an Alliance-wide basis. The outcome of this planning process is a series of recommendations issued every two years. These recommendations, which are set out in the form of an armaments plan, are designed to eliminate unnecessary duplication of effort, to provide a framework for the exchange of information, and to establish more rational and cost-effective methods of armaments procurement. NATO's first Conventional Ar- maments Plan was adopted in December 1991.

18. STANDARDIZATION

Standardization and interoperability between NATO forces make a vital contribution to the combined operational effectiveness of the military forces of the Alliance and enable opportunities to be exploited for making better use of economic resources. Extensive efforts are therefore made in many different spheres to improve cooperation and eliminate duplication in research, development, pro- duction, procurement and support of defence systems. NATO Standardization Agreements for procedures and systems and equipment components, known as STANAGS, are developed and promulgated by a NATO Military Agency for Standardization in conjunction with the Conference of National Armaments Directors and other authorities concerned.

By formulating, agreeing, implementing and maintain- ing standards for equipment and procedures used through- out NATO, a significant contribution is made to the co- hesion of the Alliance and the effectiveness of its defence structure. While standardization is of relevance in many different areas, the principal forum for standardization policy issues is the NATO Standardization Group, which acts as a coordinator for the various endeavours and aims to incorporate standardization as an integral part of Alliance planning.