2012 Supreme Allied Commander Transformation Seminar

On February 28 the Atlantic Council served as a key think tank partner for the 2012 Supreme Allied Commander Transformation Seminar in Washington, DC, which drew together the leadership of NATO, including Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, SACT General Stephane Abrial, along with the members of the Alliance’s North Atlantic Council and NATO’s Military Committee.

The SACT Seminar focused on the tough issues facing the Alliance in this era of austerity, geo-political uncertainty, and emerging security challenges. Specifically, the discussion at the Seminar was dedicated to the Smart Defense Initiative, an effort launched by Secretary General Rasmussen which seeks to maximize the use of scarce transatlantic defense resources through prioritization, specialization, and cooperation. The outcomes of the Smart Defense Initiative constitute some of the key deliverables for the upcoming NATO Summit in Chicago, and the SACT Seminar is a crucial milestone on the road to that Summit.

Damon Wilson, Council executive vice president, served as the moderator of the seminar morning discussion and led NATO’s ambassadors, military representatives, and assembled experts and industry representatives in a wide ranging dialogue on how the Alliance can use innovative approaches and overcome political roadblocks to build and sustain vital NATO capabilities. Ian Brzezinski, Council senior fellow, later in the day led a distinguished group of think tank experts and senior industry representatives in a session intended to provide outside and actionable advice to NATO’s leadership on Smart Defense.

In the evening of February 28 Council President and CEO Fred Kempe and Council Chairman Senator Chuck Hagel co-hosted a reception together with SACT General Stephane Abrial for the members of NATO’s Military Committee and their colleagues from the Washington based defense attache community.

The Council’s role as think tank partner for the 2012 SACT Seminar builds on the foundations established by the Council’s Program on International Security, which over the last year has focused on a number of projects related to NATO’s Smart Defense Initiative, including Defense Partnerships in the Age of Austerity, NATO Over Libya, and the Smarter Alliance Initiative.

TRANSCRIPTS

The Atlantic Council Covers the 2012 NATO and G8 Summits in Chicago

This May, as the NATO and G8 Summits converge on Chicago, the Atlantic Council maintains that the transatlantic alliance remains not only relevant, but vital, to today’s changing world. The Council will provide a cadre of experts who are available for analysis of the major issues shaping both Summits in Chicago, while also engaging and developing the next generation of transatlantic leaders in a host of related activities and resources. 

A list of the Council’s planned activites for the Summit can be found here. Please check this page periodically to remain updated on all events related to the Chicago summits.

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