2 New Messages
Digest #4622
Messages
Mon Feb 4, 2013 11:43 am (PST) . Posted by:
"Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff
http://www.nato.int/cps/en/nat
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
February 2, 2013
''NATO after ISAF – Staying Successful Together''
Remarks by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen at the Munich Security Conference
====
We need a multinational force we can deploy quickly when needed. Fortunately, we already have it. It’s called the NATO Response Force...The NATO Response Force should become the engine of our future readiness.
====
The theme of our discussion today is Transatlantic security. And like Vice President Biden, I consider US and Europe indispensable partners.
Today I would like to talk about NATO after 2014 when we complete the ISAF mission in Afghanistan. The end of NATO’s biggest operation presents us with a big opportunity.
An opportunity to generate key capabilities. To engage robustly with new geopolitical realities. And to rebalance our priorities and commitments. In other words, an opportunity to plan for the future.
That plan must answer three questions: What will NATO do next? How will we do it? And what kind of Alliance will we be?
So let me answer those questions. First, what will NATO do next?
We will continue to respond to crises whenever, and wherever, the Allies judge their security interests are at stake. Because this is our core business.
When I look at our world, I see an arc of crises stretching from the Sahel to Central Asia.
...
So we have to keep our operational edge, and retain the complete range of capabilities. Among these, I see increased importance for missile defence, cyber defence, and special forces.
Missile defence is a core element of our collective defence...
Many European Allies already contribute to NATO’s missile defence system. But I could see other possible contributions. For instance, European navies upgrading their ships with missile defence radars and interceptors so they can deploy alongside United States vessels.
We must also improve our cyber-resilience. I see a critical role for NATO in defining a common approach among the Allies...
We will also need forces with the skills and speed to act decisively. I see a vital role for NATO’s new Special Operations Forces Headquarters in planning and coordinating missions. And in improving the capability of our special operations forces to work together.
All this we CAN do. So that NATO remains the gold standard of Euro-Atlantic security in the 21st century.
But how?
We must build on what we have gained in operations such as Afghanistan. Not cash in what some may perceive as the post-ISAF dividend.
[M]ore cuts now will lead to greater insecurity in the future, at a cost we simply can’t afford. We saw this after the Cold War, when we were ill prepared to respond to the crises in the Balkans.
Now, we need to reinvest the ISAF dividend in defence. And get the maximum return from it, including through NATO’s Connected Forces and Smart Defence initiatives.
We need a multinational force we can deploy quickly when needed. Fortunately, we already have it. It’s called the NATO Response Force.
I see us revitalising this Force, to keep our ability to train and operate together, as Allies, and with partners. To take advantage of the United States’ decision to rotate dedicated units to Europe. And to conduct more demanding, more realistic, and more frequent exercises. The NATO Response Force should become the engine of our future readiness.
Multinational cooperation is also key to keeping our costs down, and our capabilities strong.
For example, through Smart Defence, we are fielding a new Alliance hub for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, to provide political and military decisions makers with more accurate and up-to-date information. Our lessons learned from Afghanistan and Libya have shown how crucial such a hub will be for any future operation.
I see us connecting more closely with our most able operational partners. Because keeping close links in peacetime will help us work better together in times of crisis.
...
Overall, I see our Alliance shifting from operational engagement to operational readiness. From campaign to contingency. From deployed NATO to prepared NATO.
So, what kind of Alliance will we be after 2014?
...I would like to see us moving towards the day when no single Ally provides more than 50% of certain critical capabilities.
This will require European Allies to do more. And it shows why initiatives by European Allies are so vital. Because a strong European contribution to NATO’s capabilities will sustain a strong US commitment to NATO.
The good news is that the balance is already improving in some critical areas. For example, in large transport aircraft.
However, we also need to re-balance politically. All Allies must show the political will to support each other. So we must live up to our role as the political forum for transatlantic consultations on common security concerns, including on those that lie beyond the Euro-Atlantic area.
...
==============================
Stop NATO e-mail list home page with archives and search engine:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/
Stop NATO website and articles:
http://rickrozoff.wordpress.co
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==============================
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
February 2, 2013
''NATO after ISAF – Staying Successful Together''
Remarks by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen at the Munich Security Conference
====
We need a multinational force we can deploy quickly when needed. Fortunately, we already have it. It’s called the NATO Response Force...The NATO Response Force should become the engine of our future readiness.
====
The theme of our discussion today is Transatlantic security. And like Vice President Biden, I consider US and Europe indispensable partners.
Today I would like to talk about NATO after 2014 when we complete the ISAF mission in Afghanistan. The end of NATO’s biggest operation presents us with a big opportunity.
An opportunity to generate key capabilities. To engage robustly with new geopolitical realities. And to rebalance our priorities and commitments. In other words, an opportunity to plan for the future.
That plan must answer three questions: What will NATO do next? How will we do it? And what kind of Alliance will we be?
So let me answer those questions. First, what will NATO do next?
We will continue to respond to crises whenever, and wherever, the Allies judge their security interests are at stake. Because this is our core business.
When I look at our world, I see an arc of crises stretching from the Sahel to Central Asia.
...
So we have to keep our operational edge, and retain the complete range of capabilities. Among these, I see increased importance for missile defence, cyber defence, and special forces.
Missile defence is a core element of our collective defence...
Many European Allies already contribute to NATO’s missile defence system. But I could see other possible contributions. For instance, European navies upgrading their ships with missile defence radars and interceptors so they can deploy alongside United States vessels.
We must also improve our cyber-resilience. I see a critical role for NATO in defining a common approach among the Allies...
We will also need forces with the skills and speed to act decisively. I see a vital role for NATO’s new Special Operations Forces Headquarters in planning and coordinating missions. And in improving the capability of our special operations forces to work together.
All this we CAN do. So that NATO remains the gold standard of Euro-Atlantic security in the 21st century.
But how?
We must build on what we have gained in operations such as Afghanistan. Not cash in what some may perceive as the post-ISAF dividend.
[M]ore cuts now will lead to greater insecurity in the future, at a cost we simply can’t afford. We saw this after the Cold War, when we were ill prepared to respond to the crises in the Balkans.
Now, we need to reinvest the ISAF dividend in defence. And get the maximum return from it, including through NATO’s Connected Forces and Smart Defence initiatives.
We need a multinational force we can deploy quickly when needed. Fortunately, we already have it. It’s called the NATO Response Force.
I see us revitalising this Force, to keep our ability to train and operate together, as Allies, and with partners. To take advantage of the United States’ decision to rotate dedicated units to Europe. And to conduct more demanding, more realistic, and more frequent exercises. The NATO Response Force should become the engine of our future readiness.
Multinational cooperation is also key to keeping our costs down, and our capabilities strong.
For example, through Smart Defence, we are fielding a new Alliance hub for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, to provide political and military decisions makers with more accurate and up-to-date information. Our lessons learned from Afghanistan and Libya have shown how crucial such a hub will be for any future operation.
I see us connecting more closely with our most able operational partners. Because keeping close links in peacetime will help us work better together in times of crisis.
...
Overall, I see our Alliance shifting from operational engagement to operational readiness. From campaign to contingency. From deployed NATO to prepared NATO.
So, what kind of Alliance will we be after 2014?
...I would like to see us moving towards the day when no single Ally provides more than 50% of certain critical capabilities.
This will require European Allies to do more. And it shows why initiatives by European Allies are so vital. Because a strong European contribution to NATO’s capabilities will sustain a strong US commitment to NATO.
The good news is that the balance is already improving in some critical areas. For example, in large transport aircraft.
However, we also need to re-balance politically. All Allies must show the political will to support each other. So we must live up to our role as the political forum for transatlantic consultations on common security concerns, including on those that lie beyond the Euro-Atlantic area.
...
==============================
Stop NATO e-mail list home page with archives and search engine:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/
Stop NATO website and articles:
http://rickrozoff.wordpress.co
To subscribe for individual e-mails or the daily digest, unsubscribe, and otherwise change subscription status:
stopnato-subscribe@yahoogroups
==============================
Mon Feb 4, 2013 3:59 pm (PST) . Posted by:
"Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff
http://www.defense.gov/news/ne
U.S. Department of Defense
February 4, 2013
Carter Visits Turkish Defense Leaders, U.S. Patriot Battery Troops
By Cheryl Pellerin
ANKARA, Turkey: On his first official visit to this prosperous capital as deputy defense secretary, Ashton B. Carter spent the day with Turkish defense leaders, then traveled southeast to Gaziantep near the Syrian border to examine the first of two U.S. Patriot missile batteries to be located there.
...
He also met - in person and by telephone and digital video conference - with about 45 embassy staff members from Ankara, Istanbul and the consulate in Adana, as well as with U.S. staff members from Turkey’s Incirlik Air Base.
...
Carter said that later in the day he would visit the 80 or so Army troops manning and supporting the NATO-led U.S. deployment of two Patriot missile batteries at Gaziantep “because that...stands for the strength of our alliance and the willingness of America to stand with Turkey...when so many unsettled things are happening in Syria [that] pose a threat to the people of Turkey.”
The deputy secretary added, “We stand with the people and the government of Turkey, and missile defense is just one way we are doing that.”
This afternoon Carter began meeting with Turkish defense leaders.
At the Ministry of National Defense, he and Undersecretary of Defense for Industries Murad Bayar met and discussed three major U.S.-Turkey defense acquisition efforts.
Later, at the Ministry of National Defense, Carter met with Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz, and both made statements ahead of their discussion.
...
In his remarks, Carter said he planned his trip to Turkey to discuss with Yilmaz and other leaders the military-to-military cooperation long shared by the United States and Turkey in...counterterrorism, missile defense and every other area of cooperation.”
...
Later in the day, Carter traveled to a military facility in Gaziantep, just over 60 miles from Aleppo, Syria, where one U.S. Patriot battery is operational and another will be moved from nearby Incirlik as soon as the grounds at the base are prepared for its massive components and the troops required to operate the systems.
The Patriot missile system uses ground-based radar to find, identify and track incoming missile targets. The system can lock onto an incoming missile that’s up to 50 miles away. The system can even be made to operate automatically.
Patriot missiles, each weighing nearly a ton, launch from ground-based batteries. A battery is made up of MIM-104 surface-to-air missiles; a launcher that holds, transports, aims and launches the missiles; an MPQ-53 or MPQ-65 radar antenna for detecting incoming missiles; an equipment van called an engagement control station that holds computers and consoles to control the battery; and power-plant truck with two 150-kilowatt generators that power the radar antenna and van. Each Patriot missile battery can have up to 16 launchers.
At the missile launch site, Carter spoke with about 18 soldiers - men and women - who operate the site, and then spoke with 80 more in a small theater near the battery site. They’re assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment, based on Fort Sill, Okla.
“I’m so pleased that two days ago you rolled all the way in from Incirlik with all this fantastic equipment,” Carter told the troops.
“Your country is watching and the world is watching and what they see is this magnificent performance,” he added. “The good people of Gaziantep see it and the good people of Turkey see it and the good people of the Middle East see it and your country sees it. And you know what? The bad guys see it too.”
U.S. Department of Defense
February 4, 2013
Carter Visits Turkish Defense Leaders, U.S. Patriot Battery Troops
By Cheryl Pellerin
ANKARA, Turkey: On his first official visit to this prosperous capital as deputy defense secretary, Ashton B. Carter spent the day with Turkish defense leaders, then traveled southeast to Gaziantep near the Syrian border to examine the first of two U.S. Patriot missile batteries to be located there.
...
He also met - in person and by telephone and digital video conference - with about 45 embassy staff members from Ankara, Istanbul and the consulate in Adana, as well as with U.S. staff members from Turkey’s Incirlik Air Base.
...
Carter said that later in the day he would visit the 80 or so Army troops manning and supporting the NATO-led U.S. deployment of two Patriot missile batteries at Gaziantep “because that...stands for the strength of our alliance and the willingness of America to stand with Turkey...when so many unsettled things are happening in Syria [that] pose a threat to the people of Turkey.”
The deputy secretary added, “We stand with the people and the government of Turkey, and missile defense is just one way we are doing that.”
This afternoon Carter began meeting with Turkish defense leaders.
At the Ministry of National Defense, he and Undersecretary of Defense for Industries Murad Bayar met and discussed three major U.S.-Turkey defense acquisition efforts.
Later, at the Ministry of National Defense, Carter met with Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz, and both made statements ahead of their discussion.
...
In his remarks, Carter said he planned his trip to Turkey to discuss with Yilmaz and other leaders the military-to-military cooperation long shared by the United States and Turkey in...counterterrorism, missile defense and every other area of cooperation.”
...
Later in the day, Carter traveled to a military facility in Gaziantep, just over 60 miles from Aleppo, Syria, where one U.S. Patriot battery is operational and another will be moved from nearby Incirlik as soon as the grounds at the base are prepared for its massive components and the troops required to operate the systems.
The Patriot missile system uses ground-based radar to find, identify and track incoming missile targets. The system can lock onto an incoming missile that’s up to 50 miles away. The system can even be made to operate automatically.
Patriot missiles, each weighing nearly a ton, launch from ground-based batteries. A battery is made up of MIM-104 surface-to-air missiles; a launcher that holds, transports, aims and launches the missiles; an MPQ-53 or MPQ-65 radar antenna for detecting incoming missiles; an equipment van called an engagement control station that holds computers and consoles to control the battery; and power-plant truck with two 150-kilowatt generators that power the radar antenna and van. Each Patriot missile battery can have up to 16 launchers.
At the missile launch site, Carter spoke with about 18 soldiers - men and women - who operate the site, and then spoke with 80 more in a small theater near the battery site. They’re assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment, based on Fort Sill, Okla.
“I’m so pleased that two days ago you rolled all the way in from Incirlik with all this fantastic equipment,” Carter told the troops.
“Your country is watching and the world is watching and what they see is this magnificent performance,” he added. “The good people of Gaziantep see it and the good people of Turkey see it and the good people of the Middle East see it and your country sees it. And you know what? The bad guys see it too.”
