NATO to change its command structure
Two new NATO operation planning and control centers are to be established in Europe. One of them will be responsible for transferring forces and weaponry on the European continent, and the other for naval operations in the Atlantic Ocean. This was agreed on at a meeting in Brussels on Wednesday, November 8, by the defense ministers of the North Atlantic Alliance. In doing so, NATO has responded to Russia’s actions in Ukraine, AFP reports.
It is not yet known where exactly the new centers will be located or how many additional personnel will be required by NATO. The details of the reorganization are scheduled to be worked out by the February meeting of the NATO states’ defense ministers.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg believes that the EU’s transport infrastructure must comply with military requirements. European motorways, railways and airports must accommodate the rapid transfer of NATO forces. According to Stoltenberg, this issue should be dealt with by NATO’s leadership, national governments and private companies.
After the end of the Cold War, NATO’s staff was reduced from 22000 to 6800, and its headquarters from 33 to 7 persons.