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Continuous Assessment of Students in Language Preparation at the Defence University BrnoLanguage preparationPhDr. Mária Šikolová, CSc., PhDr. Eva Složilová, MAVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2008, Vol. XVII. (XLIX.): 114-117 The academic year 2006-2007 is an important milestone for the Defence University, as the freshmen are asked to have relatively high entry knowledge of English language. The concept of English entry tests had to be changed, i.e. entry tests are at the level STANAG 6001 SLP 2. For practical purposes, speaking and writing knowledge of all applicants can't by tested, therefore new test patterns cover only listening and reading (level SLP 2). This represents an extra burden for the staff of the Centre of Language Preparation, influencing language training and testing. The new curriculum was formed, accredited in UNIcert system. It has been implemented for students in the first grade of the Faculty of Military Technologies. This curriculum reflects speaking knowledge at the level STANAG 6001 SLP 3333 and opens the road to European Certificate of English Language. |
How are Simulation Technologies Appreciated by their UsersMilitary professionalMjr. Ing. Václav SuchýVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2008, Vol. XVII. (XLIX.): 121-126 Generally speaking, simulations help our soldiers to hone their skills, rehearse their missions. Such simulations are done at the Centre of Simulation and Training Technologies. It is divided into two simulation resorts that have been working for several years. It is therefore high time to summarize their practical experiences and analyse the results reached. This is also the theme of scholarly task conducted by staff members, Faculty of Economy and Management, Defence University Brno. The article presents users' opinions how introduced simulation technologies influence the process of preparations of military professionals. The data were collected by means of questionnaires in which the users expressed their own experiences with the deployment of simulation technologies in both simulation resorts. At the end the author proposes further directions of their advancements. |
The White Paper and the Security of the Czech RepublicOpinions, controversyPhDr. Antonín RašekVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 4/2011, Vol. XX. (LII.): 86-92 The existence of the Czech Army is at state. We need to get over present cut in military budget, ill-advised savings, without searching for new appropriate financial and material sources. To save something important means always to sacrifice or to give up something. Some security and military experts wish to dissociate themselves with approved methods. They think that the White Paper doesn't express opinions on many important things. It assumed that after five years there will be need to revise this White Book. So, proposes the author, wouldn't be better for us to regard the White Book only as an analytical document containing certain proposals for the following Defence Strategy of the CR, as originally intended? |
National Security Planning and the Issue of Varying Prices: MoD Case StudyInformational pagesPodplukovník Ing. Bohuslav Pernica, Ph.D.Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 4/2011, Vol. XX. (LII.): 97-104 Government controls state executives by planning, i.e. a bureaucratic process providing sets of documents. Such plans ought to be feasible in an expecting resource environment. Approach and methods using for working out respective plans are supposed to be conforming to the purpose. In order to be realistic, a financial plan, a budget, should cope with environment of increasing and decreasing prices and exchange rates. This essay, as a case study, deals with the issue of adapting of the short and medium-term planes working out by the Czech MoD for purpose of programming, budgeting and purchasing. The case study shows that generally there is a long-run lack of interest in adapting of such planes to an environment of changing prices and volatile exchange rates. |
Public Procurements: Themes for Further Developing backed by White Paper on Defence in Connection with Governmental Assessment of Public ProcurementsInformational pagesProf. PhDr. František Ochrana, DrSc.Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 4/2011, Vol. XX. (LII.): 105-117 The White Paper on Defence is a frame document that only points out main directions of military activities that further must be worked up in detail at all levels of defence department. This study presents all possible themes in the field of public procurements. As he set principles in the Whiter Paper correspond to those set in governmental document Public Procurements, it depends only on MoD experts to what measure they meet governmental requirements and implement them into drafted concept materials, incorporating rules for placing, assignment, rating, examination and audit. |
Food Terrorism and AgroterrorismMilitary professionalIng. Hana Vlachová, Ph.D.Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 4/2011, Vol. XX. (LII.): 160-168 People commonly imagine terrorist attack as hijacking or improvised explosive device hidden in crowded place. However terrorists can also attack against food, cattle, farm crops or water resources. These kinds of attacks can be ranked among agroterrorism or food terrorism, whereas agroterrorists attack against cattle, farm crops or water resources; food terrorists attack against foodstuffs. This paper is intended to provide information about agroterrorism and food terrorism as possible forms of wilful violence. Food security became discussed issue especially after anthrax incidents in 2001. There are many authorities that deal with these issues, for example EU, NATO or World Health Organization. |
New Approaches to Long-term Defence Planning: Scenarios and Operational Concepts in the Future Security EnvironmentReviewed - ReviewIng. Vlastimil Galatík, CSc., pplk. gšt. Ing. Ivo Pikner, Ph.D., pplk. Ing. Miroslav KrčmářVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 3/2011, Vol. XX. (LII.): 23-28 The article explains defence planning of armed forces deployment that ought to by the base for all long haul visions and concept texts for army development and its operational employment. Operational scenarios and concepts form together key elements of defence planning process, both factors enable to military organizations not only to identify future security challenges but also to react to challenges in being. It is not contrary to the so-called capability planning process as this is a manly armed force potential backing our ability to face threads and risks in the future. The example of the United States involved in three asymmetric conflicts is a warning example showing the necessity of the complex and coordinated strategical approaches. |
Command and Control as an Important Part of Military Science (Getting on for Information Age)Reviewed - ReviewIng. Petr Ryp, plk. Ing. Robert BielenýVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 3/2011, Vol. XX. (LII.): 29-33 The specification of terminology related to terms command and control (C2) is quite important for further scholarly examination of military science. The command and control area is nowadays under the constant impact of the influx of information technology, as well as it is affected by the changes in the contemporary security environment. This article is dedicated to the military, its history, and its contributions to current military operations. It provides an attempt to specify terms "command and control" in both general and military levels. Finally, it provides clarification of the terminology within command and control systems, as their terminology has been changing. In a simple way, the C2 could be characterized as the execution of authority by the commander, via communication and information systems, with the use of current standard operational procedures, under present laws and rules, to act in the interest of forces to meet assigned orders and intentions. |
Present-day Notions on Military DeceptionsMilitary artDoc. Ing. Milan Kubeša, CSc.Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 3/2011, Vol. XX. (LII.): 60-65 In the previous Military Review we introduced the article "Will Military Deception Pass Away?" by the same author. In the Army of the Czech Republic we have no manual dealing with military deception (MILDEC). The only manual concerning MILDEC was abolished without any substitute. But military art can't be further developed without similar documents. Today we take MILDEC as a complex set of provisions misleading enemy's commanders and staff, by means of false information and counterfeit data that deliberately deceive adversary decision-makers and planners. Use of MILDEC during any phase of an operation also helps to mislead adversaries as to the strength, readiness, locations, and intended missions of friendly forces. The MILDEC could contribute to the successful accomplishment of the assigned mission by many ways. |
A History of the Use of Private Military ForcesInformational pagesDoc. Mgr. Oldřich Bureš, M.A., Ph.D., PhDr. Vendula NedvědickáVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 3/2011, Vol. XX. (LII.): 76-93 Although private military companies like the former Blackwater were regarded as a relatively new phenomenon in international security, their history is not new. The participation of private individuals, and /or groups of private individuals, soldiers of fortune, in "foreign" armed conflicts is at least as old as the history of wars by itself. It is impossible to open a debate about the scope and possible impact of the current use of private military and security companies without knowing and evaluating their long-term historical developments. The goal of this study is therefore to map the history of the use of private military forces, their involvement in various conflicts, services they offer, among others, from the point of international law. |
Some Aspects of Forming Modular Task Force in Chemical Units (Groupings), ACRMilitary professionalMjr. Ing. Pavel OtřísalVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 3/2011, Vol. XX. (LII.): 138-145 This paper analyses some of the accesses to developing modular structures of task forces, built not only on a base of combined arms, but also even the base of special units, formations, Czech Chemical Corps. The analysis is derived from documents, doctrines, at both political-strategic level and military-strategical level within state defence command. Moreover, the article offers information related to operational-tactical level of command and control. At the end, the author evaluates some possible impacts of modular structures on practical activities of forces. It is necessary to define those impacts in a framework of particular projects, dealing with the formation of modular structures. |
The Various Ways of Civil-Military Development (Concepts and Doctrines)ReviewedIng. Pavel Zona, Ph.D.Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 2/2011, Vol. XX. (LII.): 20-29 With the running changes in methods of modern operations within NATO framework, there are also changes in demands and tasks in the scope of civil-military operations-CIMIC. They are incorporated in many documents, such as the Comprehensive Political Guidance, New Concept of Civil-Military Cooperation or Field Manual 3-07 Stability Operations. The CIMIC capacities ought to be used for active impact on impending security situation, crisis development, impact implemented more sooner then crises might escalate to conflicts, eventually they could be used to halt the conflicts, in the places where they are a threat to Alliance security. We must create new rules of co-operations between civil and military sections, with the use of Alliance materials, resources and documents from conferences, seminars and field working shops. Today we have also abundant experiences that the Army of the Czech Republic, its CIMIC section, have acquired in preceding ten years. |
Will Military Deception Pass Away?Opinions, controversyDoc. Ing. Milan Kubeša, CSc.Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 2/2011, Vol. XX. (LII.): 97-100 There are no military conflicts without deception, as it is among others a very cheap method how to contribute to the successful accomplishment of the assigned mission. Military deception (MILDEC) is applicable across a wide range of military operations. MILDEC can be conducted during all phases of military operations at strategic, operational, and tactical levels. It is defined as being those actions executed to deliberately mislead adversary decision makers as to friendly military capabilities, intentions, and operations, thereby causing the adversary to take specific actions (or inactions) that will contribute to the accomplishment of the friendly mission. According to he author, the operational deception is to be explained in more detail, basic rules are to be outlined, including fundamental principles and methods of deception for operational planning. |
The Analysis of Main Problems of New War Veterans (ret.) with the Accent on their Admittance to Labour MarketInformational pagesPhDr. Viktor Meca, Ph.D.Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 2/2011, Vol. XX. (LII.): 114-129 The purpose of this analysis is to trace contemporary position of recent war veterans, members of missions abroad after 1989 after they retired. Above it concentrates on their problem on home labour market, eventually on psychic disorders, negative after-effects or syndromes, possible assistance and support on the part of state, eventually of Czech Ministry of Defence. The article is divided into two parts. The first one analyses accessible statistical data concerning participants in foreign missions and at the same time collected data serve for drafting hypothesis tied with a research segment of this paper. The second part of this study evaluates results reached, based upon anonymous questionnaires completed by retired new war veterans in the period from December 4, 2009, till January 25, 2010 |
Strategical Command and Control in Public Administration and Policy (A Book on Czech Strategic Documents)Book reviewVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 2/2011, Vol. XX. (LII.): 170-171 It is a book review over the book by Prof. F. Ochrana (editor). Its authors tried to define dimensions and leading actors of the so-called strategical governance in the conditions of the Czech Republic with a special respect to strategical planning in public policy. Two chapters of this book are concentrated on military and defence problems. Predispositions for strategical control are backed by the creation and implementation of strategical documents. Among further themes discussed belonged also the White Paper on Defence. We specifically need single or comparative case studies that examine the process of formulating security strategies and their implementation, the interaction between respective processes at national and international levels, and the results of security policy implementation in respective cases. |
New Defence Capabilities for New NATO Missions (Lisbon 2010)Pplk. Ing. Ivo Pikner, Ph.D., pplk. Ing. Miroslav Krčmář, doc. Ing. Milan Kubeša, CSc.Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2011, Vol. XX. (LII.): 3-8 Article deals with new insights into the Alliance missions for the upcoming period of five to ten years that are to be conditioned by achieving higher level of future military capabilities for provision of defence and security within the Alliance and its Partners. Some initiatives are described that are needed to be implemented to achieve the required capabilities and also necessary resources and process measures imposed to the Alliance member states and the Alliance as a whole are indicated. The new Strategic Concept aims to define NATO as a modernized Alliance and a cooperative team player in a globalized world. It gives a comprehensive framework for preserving the core ideals of NATO while transforming it into a dynamic Alliance capable of confronting the unconventional and unpredictable threats that define today's international security environment. The article refers to the ideas and thoughts mentioned in a study of the US NDU's Center for Technology and National Security Policy. |
The Command Post Exercise "Good Neighbourhood 2010" (CPX GN 2010): Lessons and ExperiencesMilitary artIng. Ladislav Koláček, Ing. Petr RypVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2011, Vol. XX. (LII.): 50-59 The exercise was a continuation of series of exercises that were conducted in previous years. Among others, participants of the CPX were representatives of Defence University Brno, National Defence Academy Vienna, Austria, and the Armed Forces Academy, Liptovský Mikuláš, Slovakia. During the exercise, in imaginary region POPRADLAND, there were practiced various basis aspects of forces preparations and engagement that focus on EU Battle Group in Area of Responsibility, explaining forming commander and staff's decision-making process at the level of Battalion Task Force, during operational planning and its engagement in action. At the end the Officer Conducting the Exercise certified that participants in the CPX fulfilled set goals and aims of this exercise sucessfully. The exercise was designated maily for members of Higher and Basic Command and Staff Courses. |
Civil-Military Reflections: Does the Army Need Its Own Value Code? (Military Culture, Professionalism, and Constabulary Force)Informational pagesMgr. Tomáš KučeraVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2011, Vol. XX. (LII.): 71-82 Relations between a military and a civilian society belong to the core issue of civil-military studies. This article reflects main ideas and concepts used in theoretical and analytical literature, including seminar works by Samuel Huntington and Morris Janowitz. A military culture, military ethics and influence of new technologies, full-volunteer army and new missions on military culture are discussed. An abstract term "military" can change very significantly in accordance with actual military culture, perceptible to the fact how civilian society accepts military values. Therefore, not only size and equipment determine how particular armed forces look like. The author introduces the term Constabulary Force reflecting the idea that primary purpose of forces today are low-intensity conflicts and operations other than war. |
Homage to Eightieth Birthday of Miroslav PurkrábekPersonal dataPhDr. Antonín RašekVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 4/2010, Vol. XIX. (LI.): 197-201 Had PhDr. Miroslav Purkrábek, CSc. was still alive today, he would be 80 years old. It was on September 8, 2005, that Miroslav Purkrábek, suffered a stroke. This year it has been fi ve years since he died. He was a person who contributed to social sciences on three distinctive fi elds: military sociology, sociology of military health, and sociology of public policy. As a gifted scholar he expected that alongside with disarmament talks and preparing collective defence, especially after the fall of world?s socialist system, that task of the army would shift towards preventive, threatening role. But he even lived to see the moments when military professionals were engaged in real combat, in preemptive conflicts, against non-traditional, assymetric forces of guerrilla character. At the same time he could see that another hypothesis of transition to all professional forces was going be fulfi lled. Unfortunately, the Czech Army was not prepared for this important process, as political and MoD leaders at were occupied by this theme of professionalization only marginally. |
NATO Response ForceMilitary artIng. Jaroslav KulíšekVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 3/2010, Vol. XIX. (LI.): 46-71 This article illustrates the troubles encountered with development of the NRF. The NATO Response Force is a highly ready and technologically advanced force made up of land, air, sea and special operations forces components that the Alliance can deploy quickly wherever needed. The NRF is intended to be a transformational force that will not only be able to meet the security needs of NATO in 21st century but also serve as an agent of change whereby all the member nations of NATO will be able to bring capabilities, and concepts of operations into their national forces. Undoubtedly, the NRF will not provide a basis for solving all of complex challenges. But it does offer an opportunity for experimentation and testing-the essence of military transformation-and the forging of creative solutions. The views expressed in this assessment are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of NATO or EU. |
NATO is Preparing a New Strategical ConceptNonreviewedPhDr. Antonín RašekVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 2/2010, Vol. XIX. (LI.): 3-21 The primary purpose for NATO enlargement, covering first three countries of the so-called Visegrad Four and later Slovakia, was the necessity to fulfil "security vacuum" in Central and subsequently in Eastern Europe which came into existence after the fall of Soviet empire. Membership of those countries helped to fix criteria for admission of other states to the Alliance. Today, the NATO alliance stands in front of new important challenge: to work out a New Strategic Concept agreement in late 2010, based upon the idea saying that the security of Euro-Atlantic region is tied with and depends on the safety of the whole world. This safety concept will able to be realized only by means of global strategical governance. More then predicting expected security and defence ideas, the author reopens a broader discussion about the real meaning of NATO membership. He also repeats and enumerates risks and threats we are facing today. |
Defence Research and Development in 1989-2009ReviewedDoc. Ing. Josef Janošec, CSc.Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 4/2009, Vol. XVIII. (L.): 71-86 After a short review of defence R&D history, the author concludes that our country used to reach world's level in some fields: passive warning systems, NBC protection, military surgery, explosives. After the change of political system in 1989 we began to dispose Czech military industries. The only scientific place to left is Defence University Brno, but it is an institution more or less concentrated on education. It is almost impossible to maintain pace with foreign defence industry. In the article there is an exhaustive list of military plants, institutions after 1989, together with the date of their closing down. It is followed by research orientation of defence industry, set according to time periods. The special chapter concentrates on financing defence research, the closing part deals with the period of our membership in NATO. Although there are same positive aspects, such as international cooperation, exploiting sources from abroad, strategical control declined. We see unwise reductions in personnel, abolishing accredited institutions, etc. |
Evaluation and Certification CZE/SVK Battle Group EUMilitary artIng. Jaroslav KulíšekVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 2/2009, Vol. XVIII. (L.): 11-40 To fulfil Czech obligation as an EU Battle Group Framework Nation according to the regulating document EU BG Training and Certification, the Czech Army is to certify that the CZE/SVK Battle Group EU meet the standards and criteria stated in Standards and Criteria for EU BG. It is recommended that the CZE/SVK Battle Group EU certification process should be analogous with NATO Response Force (NRF) certification procedure and practical methods. Further it is suggested that the CZE/SVK Battle Group EU certification procedure is divided into several evaluation procedures: preparation planning evaluation, war-fighting evaluation, and technical evaluation. Each procedure will be developed by specialized teams with representatives in the sub-working group to ensure that the different procedures harmonize. The views expressed in this assessment are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of EU Military Structure or the Czech Ministry of Defence. All information and data for this paper were drawn from unclassified sources. The written sources are listed in the matrix above. |
Programy pripravy jednotek ACRPodplukovník Ing. Jiří Víteček, Ing. Štefan ZigoVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 4/2005, Vol. XIV. (XLVI.): 146-150 |
NATO's Strategic Concept: An Important Step Towards Military and Political Qualification of AllianceReviewedKpt. Mgr. Karel Zetocha, Ph.D.Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 4/2010, Vol. XIX. (LI.): 3-14 The main Alliance mission is to "safeguard the freedom and security of its member countries" and to "deter and defend against any threat of aggression against any of them". Those general tasks are tailored today to changed international security surroundings. In May this year, a report by the experts group was released, forming the basis for further negotiations over the new strategical concept of NATO. The experts produced a document of first-rate quality identifying main tasks NATO is facing today. At the same time this document redefines prospective directions the Alliance should follow in the years to come. Without a broad popular support NATO's engagements namely off European territory couldn't be vindicated and justified. The same is true as far allocation of sources for NATO missions and developing military capabilities are concerned. So, the communication with public thus becomes a further dimension of this highest strategic document. |
The Professionalization of Armed Forces of the Czech Republic as an Open Project and InnovationOpinions, controversyPodplukovník Ing. Bohuslav Pernica, Ph.D.Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 4/2010, Vol. XIX. (LI.): 71-80 The shift from vocational military service to all-volunteer force (AVF) could be regarded and treated as any other scholarly assignment of project management, so we can get a better look at its bugs and risks. The author applied the Valentas classification of innovation upon this AVF project in the Czech Republic and demonstrates what are main risks for its sustainability. He sees the first cause and effect in the reality that this shift lacks sufficient support by social sciences and humanities. Since 2003, only six per cent of scientists/scholars employed by the Czech Ministry of Defence have been supporting this great change. It is not enough and it makes certain incompetence within defence ministry to reach the factual aim of this move and AVF produces more and more difficulties. According to the author, the professionalization of forces in our country has not meet its main purpose--to raise professional qualities of military personnel, in spite of the fact it originally used to be the prime objective of this process. |
NATO and Russia at the End of First Decade of 21st Century: Mistrust, Common Interests, Co-operation?Informational pagesPhDr. Miloš Balabán, Ph.D.Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 4/2010, Vol. XIX. (LI.): 89-99 Relations between NATO and the Russian Federation are one of key factors influencing overall policy of the whole North Atlantic Alliance. They are complicated and sophisticated questions still predisposed by the heritage of the Cold War.But there are mutual fears, common security problems they both have to counter. NATO policy must be established upon present-day reality. It is self-evident that there are common fields of common interests in which mutual balance must be reached. There are among others: armament, preventing arms proliferation, halting proliferation of nuclear, biological and chemical agents, antimissiles defence, counter-terrorism, drugs smuggling, open sea security, common peace operations. After two years the Russian-Georgia war started, military cooperation between Russia and NATO was re-established. Separate problem in midterm prospects presents the solving of conflict in Afghanistan. |
The Building of ACR Base in Missions AbroadMilitary professionalMjr. Ing. Jiří Štoller, Ph.D., mjr. Ing. Eva Zezulová, Ph.D.,Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 4/2010, Vol. XIX. (LI.): 121-131 Since 1990, members of ACR forces have taken part in 29 foreign missions, some of them continue even today. A total of 24,171 soldiers have participated. The authors with regret state that in spite of the fact of 20 years of foreign missions, no military manual dealing with methodology of building military bases was approved. This article tries to bridge this gap. It depicts fundamental components of military base and enumerates six principal wholes of such base, further 23 basic types of elementary sections. The article was written within the limits of defence research project "Technology Support to Projection, Construction, Maintenance and Dismatling ACR Bases in Mission Abroad, with the Use of REACH-BACK Concept", which was elaborated at the Department of Engineer Technologies, in cooperation with Department of Combat Support Management, Defence University, Brno. |
The Shadow of Nuclear War over Europe (1945-1968)Book reviewPhDr. Antonín RašekVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 4/2010, Vol. XIX. (LI.): 190-196 The Shadow of Nucler War over Europe (19451968). In spite of general expectations, even after the end of the Cold War the world can't get rid of atomic threat. Interest in nuclear problems has increased in the last few years. Among new books dealing with this problem belongs also the monograph by Josef Fučík "The Shadow of Nucler War over Europe: The Strategy of Military Blocks, Operational Plans and the Role of the Czechoslovak People's Army in Central European Theatre in 1945-1968". In the 60's, the last century, the danger of nuclear confrontation was extremely high. The Soviet Union accumulated large atomic potential, the fact that disabled American strategy of flexible response. On the other side, this fact led the Americans to strengthen conventional forces, not welcomed by American Western Allies. Nowadays we can see similar situation, in case of unwillingness of West European nations to support American activities, e.g. in Afghanistan. |
Alliance's New Strategic Concept (Discussion Continues)ReviewedPhDr. Antonín RašekVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 3/2010, Vol. XIX. (LI.): 3-15 The NATO's New Strategic Concept is only starting point to open discussion on a wide range of security problems. At the beginning there is a description of Czech home politics, attitudes of Czech political parties toward NATO alliance. The author explores the history of NATO's identity crisis. In recent years, different security optics of the members splintered NATO. The US wants an expeditionary alliance with a global reach, the Western Europeans hold to a vision of a regional club of liberal democracies, the Central Europeans have a wish so that Washington would stand by them when they will find themselves pressured by Russia. NATO is divided on how to reform its decision-making processes and how to fund and resource its home and away missions. In Afghanistan, the Alliance faces the most difficult operational challenge to date, with a real possibility of strategic failure. The overarching problem is how to define the core business of NATO: cyber defence, energy security, WMD proliferation, stability and reconstruction missions, out-of-area missions, territorial security, enlargement, partnership-building. The discussion over the New Strategic Concept needs to reorder the question how to define NATO's appropriate roles and go from there. |

