NATO is preparing to strengthen its eastern borders due to the threat from the Russian Federation
19 March, 2023 NATO flag. Photo credits: from open sources NATO plans to strengthen and arm its eastern borders.
This means the accumulation of equipment and troops that would be able to quickly help allies in case of need. Discussions are currently ongoing about how such an increase will take place, Politico reports. The Alliance must agree on how the process will be organized, as it requires the accumulation of troops, equipment, and ammunition.
Currently, the issue of supplying ammunition to Ukraine and the accumulation of stocks by countries providing aid to the Defense Forces of Ukraine is a pressing issue. Due to this, there are fears that not all NATO member countries will fulfill their obligations in the new plans of the Alliance.
Flags of NATO member states
Military leaders are due to submit updated regional defense plans in the spring. The plan is to strengthen the eastern border with 300,000 soldiers.
"I think you would need forces to counter realistic Russia," one senior NATO military official said. He highlighted the need for "significantly more troops" and especially more forces at "readiness." The first tier of readiness of the forces could be about 100,000 soldiers, ready to move within 10 days.
These troops can be drawn from Poland, Norway, and the Baltic states. They might also include multinational battlegroups that NATO has already set up in the eastern flank. A second tier of troops would then back up those soldiers and be ready to deploy from countries like Germany in between 10 and 30 days.
However, the process could get tricky because, to move this quickly, lots of people, equipment, and money are required.
Estonian military training. Photo credits: NATO
Some countries of the Alliance would have to up their recruitment efforts. Many allies would have to increase defense spending.
Also, everyone would need to buy more weapons, ammunition, and equipment. Ben Hodges, former commander of U.S. Army Europe, said that "readiness" means "basically, do you have all the stuff you're supposed to have to do the mission assigned to a unit of a particular size?"
"An artillery battalion needs to shoot X number of rounds per year for planning purposes to maintain its level of proficiency. A tank battalion needs to hit targets, react to different situations and "demonstrate proficiency on the move, day and night, hitting targets that are moving. This obviously takes time and is also expensive," he said.
Decisions on strengthening NATO's readiness will come this summer when the leaders of the countries meet in Lithuania.
Photo by topic: NATO/Military
Some allies have already acknowledged that meeting NATO's needs will take far more investment. In 2014, NATO leaders pledged to aim to spend 2 percent of their economic output on defense within a decade. At the Vilnius summit in July, the leaders will have to decide on a new target.
"Two percent as floor" seems to be the "center of gravity" in the debate at the moment. One senior NATO official told journalists about this while cautioning that "2 percent would not be enough for everybody." A second issue is the contribution balance.
Officials and experts expect the majority of high-readiness troops to come from European allies. That means European capitals would need to step up as Washington contemplates how to address challenges from China. The response will show whether NATO is serious about matching its ambitions.
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