Eng.
/ Fr. / Two key policy documents provide the framework for NATO’s activities in the area of missile defence: NATO’s 1999 Strategic Concept and the Comprehensive Political Guidance which was endorsed by Allied leaders at the Riga Summit in November 2006.
The Strategic Concept recognizes the need for missile defence to counter nuclear, biological and chemical threats. It states: “The Alliance's defence posture against the risks and potential threats of the proliferation of NBC weapons and their means of delivery must continue to be improved, including through work on missile defence. The aim in doing so will be to further reduce operational vulnerabilities of NATO military forces while maintaining their flexibility and effectiveness despite the presence, threat or use of NBC weapons.”
The Comprehensive Political Guidance sets out the priorities for all Alliance capability issues, planning disciplines and intelligence for the next 10 to 15 years. The CPG also provides an overview of the strategic environment within the same timeframe and identifies the spread of weapons of mass destruction as one of the principal threats to the Alliance.
| May 2001 | NATO launches two parallel feasibility studies for a future Alliance TMD system. |
|---|---|
| June 2004 | At the Istanbul Summit, Allied leaders direct that work on theatre ballistic missile defence be taken forward expeditiously. |
| March 2005 | The Alliance approves the establishment of a Programme Management Organization under the auspices of the Conference of National Armaments Directors (CNAD) |
| September 2006 | The Alliance awards the first major contract for the development of a test bed for the system. |
| November 2002 | At the Prague Summit, Allied leaders direct that a Missile Defence Feasibility Study be launched to examine options for protecting Alliance forces, territory and populations against the full range of missile threats. |
|---|---|
| April 2006 | At the Istanbul Summit, Allied leaders direct that work on theatre ballistic missile defence be taken forward expeditiously. |
| 2007 | An update of a 2004 Alliance assessment of missile threat developments is completed. |
| April 2008 | At the Bucharest Summit in April 2008, Allied leaders agreed that the planned deployment of European-based US missile defence assets should be an integral part of any future NATO-wide missile defence architecture. They called for options for a comprehensive missile defence architecture to extend coverage to all Allied territory not otherwise covered by the US system to be prepared in time NATO’s next Summit in 2009. |
| 2003 | A study is launched under the NRC to assess possible levels of interoperability among TMD systems of NATO Allies and Russia. |
|---|---|
| March 2004 | An NRC TMD command post exercise is held in the United States. |
| March 2005 | An NRC TMD command post exercise is held in the Netherlands. |
| October 2006 | An NRC TMD command post exercise is held in Russia. |
| January 2008 | An NRC TMD computer assisted exercise takes place in Germany. |
