NATO Response Force

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The NATO Response Force (NRF) is a "coherent, high readiness, joint, multinational force package" of approximately 25,000 troops that is "technologically advanced, flexible, deployable, interoperable and sustainable"¹. Its role is to act as a stand alone military force that can be rapidly deployed by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as a collective defence, crisis management or stabilisation force, or to act as an initial entry force for more forces. The NRF consists of land, air and sea components provided by NATO members. Contributed forces first train together and then become available for a 6-month period before being replaced by the new force.

The purpose of the NRF concept is to provide NATO with a robust and credible high readiness capability, which is fully trained and certified as a joint and combined armed force, able to deploy quickly to participate in the full spectrum of NATO missions wherever required. The concept of NRF was first endorsed with a declaration of NATO's Heads of State at the Prague Summit on 22 November 2002 and is planned to be fully sdfdssdfby October 2006.²

First elements of the NRF are able to deploy within five days and the whole force is able to operate self-sufficiently for 30 days. Depending on the mission circumstances the NRF will either operate as an Initial Entry Force to facilitate the arrival of Follow-on-Forces or as a Stand-alone Force. Within the full spectrum of NATO missions, the NRF may conduct:

Non-combatant Evacuation Operations
Counter Terrorism Operations
Embargo Operations
Quick Response Operations to support diplomacy as required.

To fulfil these tasks the NRF consists of a combined and joint force package that will be tailored to each specific mission. This force package is based on a brigade size land element (including special operations forces), a joint naval task force, and an air element capable of 200 combat missions per day. Accordingly, the NRF command and control structure consists of a Combined Joint Task Force Headquarters (CJTF HQ) with subordinated Land, Air and Maritime Component Commands (LCC/ACC/ MCC). Although already mature, the overall concept and related capabilities will continue to develop over coming years.

Forces participating in the NRF are drawn from the entire NATO Command and Force Structure. Forces will be assigned to the NRF on a rotational basis with the formal stand-by period lasting six months. Units that are assigned undergo a specialised 12-month preparation program that is split into the six months of unit training under national responsibility and six months of joint and combined training under the responsibility of the respective component command. After a successful final test, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) will certify the force.

While the NATO Response Force has only been used 4 times (The 2004 Olympic Games,the Iraqi Elections, humanitarian relief to Afghanistan and humanitarian relief in the earthquake disaster in Pakistan), it shows great promise to be an effective military tool. However, in order for the NATO Response Force to be fully effective as a rapid reaction force, it must accomplish two things: 1.) The total elimination of caveats, excluding those of ethical implications, and, 2.) The decision-making system of the NRF must be changed to Majority voting, to allow a rapid decision to deploy the NRF. Without these changes the NRF will never be fully effective as a rapid reaction force.