RIGA, Nov 29: Leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) on Wednesday declared the military alliance’s flag-ship response force, a 25,000-strong contingent to be sent to the world’s hot spots, to be fully operational and ready for action.
“The establishment of the Nato Response Force (NRF), which today is at full operational capability, has been a key development,” alliance leaders said in a declaration after their summit in the Latvian capital Riga.
“It plays a vital part in the alliance’s response to a rapidly emerging crisis. It also serves as a catalyst for transformation and interoperability and will enhance the overall quality of our armed forces,” they said.
The force, to be staffed by member countries on a six-month rotating basis, will stand ready to be deployed within five days for combat missions, evacuations, disaster relief or counter-terrorism work lasting up to 30 days.
It will also be a pioneer force entering conflict areas quickly until a larger operation can be deployed.
The move by Nato’s military commander, US General James Jones, to declare so-called “full operational capability” of the force comes after a long battle to ensure long-term contributions from the member countries. The costs of such an arrangement have been the major barrier.
Under the alliance’s “costs fall where they lie” system, contributors to a particular rotation would have to pay for any operation on their watch, which has discouraged the smaller members from taking part.
Nato officials have said the alliance is looking at using part of its common budget to fund transport costs — a move that may have helped overcome some of the reluctance.
Peacekeeping missions and operations elsewhere — such as the EU deployment to southern Lebanon or Nato's mission in Afghanistan and the Balkans -- have also made it difficult to find troops.
In a statement after the summit, Gen Jones said the decision to launch the NRF “ends the uncertainty that has prevailed for some months and shows that the nations are committed to the concept of a flexible, deployable, interoperable and sustainable force”. Nato leaders decided to set up the force at their summit in Prague in 2002.—Agencies
