What is the out-of-area problem for NATO?

Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait moved NATO’s out-of-area problem from a subordinate position to the primary threat facing the alliance. The dilemma for NATO is the lack of a unified approach to the out-of-area problem. NATO’s boundaries are boundaries of obligation and not boundaries of confinement.

Where are the current NATO missions and deployments?

Today, over 140 000 military personnel are engaged in NATO missions around the world, successfully managing complex ground, air and naval operations in all types of environment. These forces are currently operating in Afghanistan, Kosovo, the Mediterranean, off the Horn of Africa and in Somalia.

What are the missions of NATO?

NATO’s fundamental goal is to safeguard the Allies’ freedom and security by political and military means. NATO remains the principal security instrument of the transatlantic community and expression of its common democratic values.

What is out-of-area operations?

(of a military operation) conducted away from the place of origin or expected place of action of the force concerned. ‘The United States’s first intervention in the Middle East was also the first time NATO committed troops were withdrawn for out-of-area operations.

What conflicts has NATO been involved in?

NATO’s first military intervention in a conflict took place in Bosnia from 1991 to 1995. Since then, NATO has been involved in several other conflicts, including Kosovo in 1999, Afghanistan in 2001, and Libya in 2011 (Ibid.).

When did NATO expand?

After its formation in 1949 with twelve founding members, NATO grew by including Greece and Turkey in 1952 and West Germany in 1955, and then later Spain in 1982. After the Cold War ended, and Germany reunited in 1990, there was a debate in NATO about continued expansion eastward.

How many times NATO went to war?

It commits each member state to consider an armed attack against one member state, in Europe or North America, to be an armed attack against them all. It has been invoked only once in NATO history: by the United States after the September 11 attacks in 2001.

What is NATO doing in Afghanistan now?

Current operations and missions NATO in Afghanistan. NATO is currently leading Resolute Support, a non-combat mission which provides training, advice and assistance to Afghan security forces and institutions. Resolute Support was launched on 1 January 2015.

Does NATO have military operations beyond its member states?

And perhaps more significantly, NATO embarked on a series of military operations beyond the territory of its member states. Of course, many of the military assets that NATO allies had developed during the Cold War in order to defend against a potential Soviet attack were inappropriate for expeditionary military operations.

What is the role of NATO?

NATO is engaged in operations and missions around the world, managing often complex ground, air and naval operations in all types of environment; with the outbreak of COVID-19, NATO is ensuring that deployed personnel are protected from the ongoing pandemic. Currently, NATO is leading operations in Afghanistan, Kosovo and the Mediterranean.

Does NATO still have a mission in the Balkans?

While Afghanistan remains NATO’s primary operational theatre, the Alliance has not faltered on its other commitments, particularly in the Balkans. Today, approximately 3,500 Allied and partner troops operate in Kosovo as part of NATO’s Kosovo Force (KFOR).