Nato brings Cold War tactics up to date in response to Russian aggression with new up

[Boats]

Nato brings Cold War tactics up to date in response to Russian aggression with new upgraded response force
By: Taz Ali - UK World News - 06-27-22
Re: https://inews.co.uk/news/world/nato-...27?ITO=newsnow

Nato has announced plans to boost the number of troops on high alert from 40,000 to over 300,000
Photo link: https://i.inews.co.uk/content/upload...94-640x360.jpg
Troops attend a ceremony of the Nato enhanced forward presence battlegroup in Latvia, which could see an increase in numbers under new plans (Photo: Ints Kalnins/Reuters)

Nato has announced the alliance’s biggest transformation since the Cold War in a bid to deter Russia and China, but questions remain over whether the changes will be effective.

Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said plans to “drastically upgrade” Nato will see the number of troops on high alert increased by more than sevenfold to over 300,000. The Nato response force currently numbers around 40,000 soldiers which can deploy quickly when needed.

“This constitutes the biggest overhaul of our collective deterrence and defence since the Cold War,” he said on Monday, ahead of a Nato summit later this week in Madrid.

The plan has been a year in the making in anticipation of the summit, according to Nicholas Williams, formerly a long-serving member of Nato’s International Staff and currently a senior associate fellow at the European Leadership Network think tank.

Mr Williams said the previous policy called the enhanced forward presence – that was instituted in 2014 as a result of Russia invading and annexing Crimea – was “inadequate”.

“It was a tripwire concept which depended on its deterrence value on the idea that the Russians would never want to go to war with Nato,” Mr Williams told i.

“But that idea has been shattered as a result of the Ukraine invasion and the idea behind that invasion that the Russians were dissatisfied (and) unhappy with the structure of European security arrangements as it is.”

Mr Stoltenberg said the new plans will regard Russia as “the most significant and direct threat to our security” and will address China for the first time over “the challenges that Beijing poses to our security, interests, and values”.

Mr Williams said Nato will be “for the first time since the Cold War” organised in a single coherent plan with its rapid response force being increased “so as to clearly show to Russia that any threat, any untoward activity would be responded to competently and effectively”.

However, he said there are some doubts over whether it would be enough to deter Russia.

“The problem is this is not the Cold War,” he said. “Everyone believed – because the Soviet Union was so large – that if there were an attack it would be in several predictable fronts, particularly in Germany.

“But because some allies are (now) more vulnerable than others, the Baltic states for example, that poses a problem for Nato in that they have to have plans to reinforce the vulnerable states more significantly than the less vulnerable states.”

Under the new plans, Nato’s existing forces in the Baltic states and five other frontline countries would be increased “up to brigade levels” – doubled or trebled to between 3,000 and 5,000 troops.

Mr Williams described how Nato is reverting to Cold War plans but “modernising” them to take into effect the geographical disparity in the alliance’s collective defence. He expects that the bulk of the troops will come from major states including the UK, US, France and Germany.

At the Madrid summit, the 30-member alliance is also expected to change its language on Russia from the current wording – enshrined at its Lisbon summit in 2010 – describing Moscow as a “strategic partner”.

“They have chosen confrontation instead of dialogue. We regret that – but of course, then we need to respond to that reality,” Mr Stoltenberg said.

Tags: Nato-Nato Summit-Russia-Russia-Ukraine war
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Personal note: Just keep putting another log on the fire as needed.
But 'all" NATO countries must combine their efforts rather than count
only on the US to carry the ball alone.
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My concerns are Russia bringing China and North Korea into the
over-all scheme of things? NK wants desparately to use it nukes
rather then sacrafice his men in arms. Once one goes - of course
all hell will follow suit. More pieces are on the board of late and
they are contrary to US & NATO ideals.