Building a new ΝΑΤΟ with the lessons from Ukraine

‘On the technological side, Greece has nary large defence primes, and successful this caller world, that is astir an advantage. It means that, arsenic we spot successful Baltic countries, for example, you tin absorption connected quality and computing,’ says Admiral Pierre Vandier. [Nikos Kokkalias]

NATO is rapidly adapting to the lessons learned from the war successful Ukraine, Admiral Pierre Vandier, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT), tells Kathimerini.

“The changing quality of war requires a broader approach,” Vandier told Kathimerini during a visit to Athens past week, explaining that the alliance’s absorption has shifted to the request for person practice betwixt commercialized industries and the military.

Did you stop successful Greece for a specific reason?

I try to visit each the countries, astatine the infinitesimal connected innovation matters. We conscionable finished a bid of exercises – counter-drones successful Romania – and Greece was participating, so there was a bully accidental to sermon transformation. The changing quality of war requires a broader attack – greater use of manufacture beyond traditional defence and integration of civilian technologies. Ukraine shows however adapting quickly, utilizing society and commercialized tools, tin marque a decisive difference.

Did the war successful Ukraine and different conflicts assistance NATO transform?

We person transformed since the opening of the war successful Ukraine. In fact, we’ve shifted from a post-Cold War exemplary that was designed for constricted wars, not for protracted ones. The deficiency of strategic extent of the subject successful Europe has led to a capableness situation successful Ukraine, and Ukraine, to survive, had to invent a caller way of waging war. They person been successful successful doing so. There is ample use of robotics and AI, which makes them very applicable and helps them execute a bully termination ratio while preserving manpower. In the past two years, they’ve made melodramatic improvements successful these domains, and we spot that arsenic portion of the future. I would accidental there are some areas where we request to bash much and amended – space, robotics, IT, AI. We’ve besides seen successful Ukraine that adjacent manufacture indispensable change.

‘The caller mindset is to use each available means, not conscionable traditional subject ones. This is simply a whole-of-society approach’

How bash you spot Greece’s role, particularly considering existent developments, and its publication to defending the southeastern flank, including support to Bulgaria?

So first, NATO has the conception of 360 degrees. That means each country, fixed its geographical position, has something to do. There is the relation of Nordic countries, but besides southern countries look different stresses – smuggling, immigration, instability successful North Africa. On the technological side, Greece has nary large defence primes, and successful this caller world, that is astir an advantage. It means that, arsenic we spot successful Baltic countries, for example, you tin absorption connected quality and computing. Even if you outsource large platforms, you tin beryllium agile domestically successful smaller systems, make caller defence funding, bring startups together and assistance them grow. Greece is progressive successful the DIANA inaugural – the NATO innovation hub – so there are tools there. At NATO, we link these technological initiatives with operational acquisition and spread that crossed the alliance.

Regarding aerial defence and rocket defense, we’ve precocious seen countries defending their airspace utilizing very costly bequest missiles to take down very inexpensive threats. How tin this spread beryllium bridged?

This is much an concern contented than a fiscal one. The West is present experiencing what Ukraine experienced with artillery shells: Production speed and stockpiles are insufficient. To woody with low-end threats, we request alternate solutions. You already spot developments – helicopters alternatively of jets, drones sidesplitting drones. So you request caller approaches, including modernizing older systems and bridging toward aboriginal capabilities similar drone-based interception.

How tin NATO Transformation Command assistance nations bring these ideas together?

The archetypal step was studies. We used labs, modeling and simulations crossed the confederation to specify orders of magnitude. For example, we worked with Airbus, with MITRE [in the US], with German partners [in aesculapian matters], with Kongsberg and others crossed antithetic domains. Now nations person a clearer thought of however overmuch alteration is needed. The adjacent step is existent experimentation. We launched initiatives similar task forces where, within a month, we operated drone fleets. Countries successful the Baltic, North Sea, and Mediterranean are present testing these concepts. We besides worked connected interoperability standards, particularly connection betwixt drones, and validated them. Now nations tin use them.

‘Even when disagreements beryllium – and they are not constricted to Greece and Turkey – there is ever a way forward’

In the maritime domain, European navies are comparatively small. How tin NATO go much effective?

We’ve been near behind. Navies person shrunk significantly. The accepted attack is to physique much ships, but successful parallel, we tin complement them with drones. For example, a drone unit could patrol strategic straits. This is technologically feasible and deployable within days. So we already person solutions to mitigate hazard and experimentation with caller war warring methods quickly.

On the substance of mentality: How bash we shorten the region betwixt battlefield needs and industry? Especially successful Europe, where society doesn’t spot a subject vocation arsenic peculiarly appealing.

We request to wantonness a benignant of subject romanticism – the thought that we will combat arsenic successful the past. Today, the enactment betwixt war and bid is blurred. We already spot attacks connected infrastructure, sabotage, hybrid threats. We are already successful a signifier of conflict. The caller mindset is to use each available means, not conscionable traditional subject ones. This is simply a whole-of-society approach. Every national has a relation successful resilience, warning and training. Even within the military, the transportation with civilians indispensable improve. For example, λογισμικό systems are present developed continuously by engineers embedded within subject staffs, not arsenic fixed products.

Is NATO a level for resolving disputes betwixt members, similar the ones betwixt Greece and Turkey?

Yes, it is. NATO is simply a consensus-making machine. Even when disagreements beryllium – and they are not constricted to Greece and Turkey – there is ever a way forward, supported by different members. This contributes to stability within the alliance.