Troop contributions

An alliance of 26 sovereign countries, NATO itself does not possess military forces per se. While personnel serving in a NATO operation are often referred to collectively as “NATO forces”, they are actually multinational forces composed of individuals, formations and equipment drawn from NATO member countries and, in some cases, Partner countries.

The procedure for staffing an operation or mission is often referred to as “force generation”. This procedure ensures that Alliance operations or missions have the manpower and materials required to achieve set objectives.

What does this mean in practice?

The final decision on whether to contribute troops and equipment to a NATO-led operation or mission is taken by national capitals, who communicate continuously with NATO through their permanent diplomatic missions, national military representation, or partnership liaison teams.

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Which NATO bodies have a central role?

Allied Command Operations, commanded by the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), is responsible for executing all Alliance operations and missions. The Deputy SACEUR and his staff coordinate troop contributions.

In determining troop contributions, Allied Command Operations engages with the Military Committee, the North Atlantic Council, and individual countries, all of which have critical roles to play in bringing Alliance operations and missions to reality. 

How did it evolve ?

For much of NATO’s history, the Alliance’s primary operational commitment was focused on the former border between the East and West Germany. For over 40 years, NATO strategists spoke of medium and long-term “force plans” rather than “force generation” for specific operations. This was because during that time, the Alliance maintained static, “conventional” forces in former West Germany, poised for an attack from the former Soviet Union.

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