The impact of defence cuts on Alliance capabilities was the main area of focus as NATO delegates met for the annual Chiefs of Transformation Conference, held in Norfolk, Virginia on the 12-13 December.

In his opening address, SACT General Stéphane Abrial told delegates that in the climate of fiscal austerity the Alliance faced “times of great challenges” and that the nations now “expect more from transformation than they ever have before.”

“The economic crisis must not turn into real strategic vulnerabilities, the Alliance must continue to meet its commitments” he said.

At the panel discussion which followed, Deputy Chief of Staff for Capability Development Vice Admiral Pottenger spoke of the importance of the NATO initiative ‘Smart Defence’ and emphasised “spending better” in managing the impact of defence cuts.

“We have to figure out how to take what we have and use it more cost-effectively and bottom-line spend better” she said.

‘Smart Defence’ aims to maintain military capability in the face of declining defence budgets by increasing the pooling and sharing of military capabilities amongst member nations.

Deputy Chief of Staff for Joint Force Training, General Karlheinz Viereck said defence cuts had created “significant challenges” but should also be seen as a “major opportunity”.

“With austerity I see opportunities, a good chance for NATO to be more effective, efficient and affordable.

“It’s an opportunity for us all to review, analyse the processes, the methods and tools for the way ahead.  It’s an opportunity to analyse the way the Alliance operates and wants to pursue its core priorities in the future.”

Following the panel discussion a series of breakout sessions and roundtables took place. Topics discussed included the transformation of NATO Education and Training to maintain operational readiness and the adjustment of current capabilities to respond to hybrid threats. The COTC conference is a forum for open discussion and debate on transformational challenges faced by NATO nations and one of the key events in ACT’s calendar. The focus for this year was on increased participation by the nations, with the roundtable acting as more of a discussion forum where action items could be addressed based upon nation’s key transformation priorities. Representatives from all twenty eight NATO nations and a number of partner nations were in attendance.