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NATO stands ready with a 4,000-page plan for its eastern flank
NATO Military Committee Chair Cavo Dragone said the alliance was prepared for possible threats after a meeting in Copenhagen. Dragone said NATO had a 4,000-page plan for its eastern flank and was developing air defense, drone, cyber security and space capabilities.
NATO Military Committee Chair Cavo Dragone said at a press conference following a meeting in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, that the alliance was ready for possible threats. He said the meeting, which brought together the chiefs of defense of allied countries, reflected NATO's 360-degree security approach covering all of its flanks and domains.
Dragone said Russia's behavior in recent weeks and months had tested NATO's resolve. He said airspace violations, drone incidents and hybrid activities could not be ignored, adding that Russia was investing more in cognitive warfare to undermine the allies' confidence and weaken their unity.
The threat is real, but these efforts are not dividing us. On the contrary, they are improving our tools and making us more united and more determined.
Dragone said NATO forces had responded rapidly and effectively to recent incidents, demonstrating their readiness to defend every inch of allied territory. He said deterrence and defense capabilities had to be credible, strong and backed by adequate resources, adding that these efforts would continue alongside support for Ukraine.
Dragone said the allies continued to provide Ukraine with equipment, training and assistance, adding that important lessons had been learned from Ukraine's defense. The meeting reviewed the implementation of decisions taken at the NATO summit and stressed the need to translate commitments into military reality.
NATO's defense capabilities
Dragone said investments had to produce combat-ready forces, deployable capabilities and executable plans. He said this approach was part of the goal of building a stronger and fairer NATO and a stronger Europe.
The meeting addressed capabilities in air and missile defense, drones, cyber security and space. Dragone said operational readiness needed to be accelerated so that forces could move rapidly and on a large scale, remain on mission for extended periods and fight.
Highlighting the importance of critical infrastructure for defense and deterrence, Dragone said undersea cables as well as energy and digital networks needed to be protected. He added that societal resilience was also one of the fundamental elements of this structure.
NATO's approach to hybrid threats
Responding to a question about the possibility of Russia violating Poland's border and NATO's response to hybrid attacks, Dragone said the alliance had taken the necessary measures. He said NATO was a defensive alliance and that managing tensions was part of its basic approach.
Dragone said a possible Russian attack had not been discussed at the meeting, but that NATO's defenses on its eastern flank had been strengthened. He said the alliance needed to demonstrate that it would defend every inch of its territory.
Dragone said most hybrid activities remained below the threshold requiring the implementation of Article 5 of the NATO Treaty, which governs collective defense. He noted that this meant not every hybrid attack automatically triggered Article 5.
Dragone said that, in hybrid threats ranging from cyberattacks to cognitive warfare, responsibility should first be established and the public should then be informed. He said these activities aimed to create public distrust of political leaders and NATO.
Calling on citizens not to immediately accept information they encounter and to verify its sources, Dragone said thousands of cyberattacks were carried out every day and that the number was increasing. He claimed that Russia allocated approximately $2 billion a year to cognitive warfare activities and had been active in this field for a long time.
Dragone said comments he had previously made to La Repubblica and the Financial Times had not been accurately conveyed. He said his remarks had been shared approximately 30,000 times, with a significant portion circulated through Russian or Russian-controlled outlets. He added that Western media organizations had also repeated the narrative without questioning it.
4,000-page plan for the eastern flank
Responding to a question about whether NATO had sufficient strength on its eastern flank, Dragone said the force plan for the region was ready to be implemented in the event of a possible escalation or adverse development. He said response mechanisms had been established in advance to accelerate decision-making.
Dragone said there was a 4,000-page plan for the eastern flank, adding that NATO's command structure, forces, systems and weapons were ready. He said the alliance was adapting to changing threats and that the side launching a possible attack would lose far more than it could gain.
That is deterrence. If the current situation is maintained, we are at peace. It may be an armed peace, but it is still peace.
Call to increase production
Responding to a question about NATO's ammunition stocks, Dragone said the war in Ukraine had highlighted the importance of the amount of ammunition consumed each day. He said defense companies were being encouraged to move from the peacetime production model that had prevailed until a few years ago to higher and sustainable production over longer periods.
Dragone said the industry had undergone significant changes, but that there was still a long way to go before production could be increased to the required levels and at the necessary pace. He said the financial resources needed for defense investments were available. He added that defense companies were responding to demand but needed to do more.
Drone investment among NATO's priorities
Dragone said NATO's drone initiative, called "Dron Edge," represented a $50 billion investment. He said he did not know the precise timetable for bringing the new capabilities into service, but emphasized that the initiative was a priority for NATO.
Dragone said other efforts to develop air defense, drone and counter-drone capabilities on the eastern flank were also continuing, highlighting the importance of these areas to the alliance's defense readiness.
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