A major shift has taken place in our geopolitical and security environment. In and around the Euro-Atlantic area, the breadth of instability encountered today encompasses a number of challenges whose level of complexity and simultaneity has not been seen since the end of the Cold War.

As threats and crises grow ever more interconnected, the traditional distinction between NATO’s Eastern and Southern flanks appears less relevant: destabilizing actions, whether executed as part of hybrid strategies or conducted by terrorist groups taking advantage of weak states, are aimed at the alliance as a whole….

At the military level, we must develop the right mix of conventional, nuclear and missile defense forces, with the appropriate level of readiness and the responsiveness required to rapidly deploy and sustain operations.

At the political level, our credibility will depend upon our ability to demonstrate our strength through a robust exercise program; a robust and innovative defense industry on both sides of the Atlantic; the development of ambitious partnerships; and national and allied resilience.

General Denis Mercier is Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT).

Image: NATO Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, Gen. Denis Mercier (photo: NATO)