X. NATO and the Challenge in the North Atlantic and the Arctic

Abstract

It has been said far too often that ‘the world changed on 9/11’. Since that day, most Americans have seen the challenges of the world revolving around terrorism and ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. Similarly, since the end of the Cold War, NATO has focused largely on crisis management and counterinsurgency, especially on the southern flank. The instability created by violent-extremist organisations is a clear and present threat, and NATO is helping to address it in a variety of non-kinetic ways. NATO is meeting the problems that come with ungoverned spaces, a declining rule of law, narcotics, and weapons and human trafficking head on. The Alliance recognises these as fundamental challenges that it must and will continue to deal with. However, we also need to recall those challenges that did not change on 9/11: namely, those associated with the security of the North Atlantic. We cannot predict with certainty where the next threat will emerge, or where the next war will take place – but the security of the North Atlantic has always been a focal point for NATO. Today’s Allies operated in this environment through two world wars and the entire Cold War for a very good reason: this is where a single miscalculation could have erupted into a global nuclear conflict. The North Atlantic remains absolutely critical to the West’s collective security. The unavoidable operational reality is that should conflict arise, whoever can exert control over this region can either protect or threaten all of NATO’s northern flank. Defence of the North Atlantic is thus synonymous with Alliance security and sovereignty. In the post-9/11 and post-Cold War era, we need to remember this and ensure