The North
Atlantic Treaty Organization is developing a new strategy to speed
decision-making and improve its response to the kind of unconventional warfare
the West says Russia has used in Crimea and eastern Ukraine, with a new
playbook expected to lay out alliance’s help for members if they come under pressure
from Russia or another country, according to The Wall Street Journal.
“Hybrid warfare is a
combination of many different kinds of activities,” said Czech Army Gen. Petr
Pavel, the head of NATO’s military committee, The
Wall Street Journal reported.
“The primary purpose is to
create an influence that is strong enough, but below the threshold of
[collective defense provision] Article 5, so they achieve the goals without
provoking the enemy or opponent to initiate a defense response.”
NATO is hoping to complete the
strategy in time for a July summit of alliance leaders in Warsaw. In a new
effort at cooperation, officials have been working with the European Union,
which is putting together its own plans, WSJ reports.
NATO support could include
sending cyber experts to help respond to computer hacking attacks,
communication specialists to counter propaganda or even the deployment of
NATO’s rapid reaction spearhead force.
Alliance officials believe any
sort of overt invasion of Poland or the Baltic states by Russia is highly
unlikely, but using more subtle means to weaken an allied government is a real
threat.
Officials said hybrid threats
could take many forms including support for dissident political movements,
propaganda broadcasts aimed at ethnic minorities, or moves to curtail energy
supplies. In Ukraine, which is not a NATO member, the hybrid threat also involved
the buildup of a large conventional force conducting military exercises on the
border.
NATO’s most powerful deterrent
is likely to be the use of its new rapid reaction force. The force isn’t
intended to engage in combat, but would show the alliance’s support for a
threatened member and hopefully persuade Moscow to lower the pressure.
Even after determining a
hybrid attack is occurring, deciding to move the spearhead force wouldn’t be
easy, officials said. In many situations, allies could worry such a move would
risk the alliance being seen as the aggressor. NATO officials said it is
critical for the alliance to craft a measured public relations strategy to go
alongside any deployment of the force.
No comments:
Post a Comment