Media: NATO internal documents reveal weaknesses in the Alliance defense capabilities
NATO internal documents call into question the defense capability of the alliance in the event of a crisis, as reported by the German publication Der Spiegel. According to Der Spiegel, the internal "Progress Report on the Strengthened Deterrence and Defense Capability of the Alliance” indicates that the ability of NATO's rapid reaction forces to adequately respond to challenges is questionable.
In addition, there are serious problems with logistics on the eastern flank of the alliance.
A NATO spokesperson refused to confirm or deny the information reported by the German magazine. However, she noted that negotiations are underway to modernize the management structures of the alliance. The number of their employees in the years since the end of the Cold War has been sharply reduced.
The creation of the avant-garde of NATO's response force (NRF), referred to as the Spearhead Force, was announced in 2014 by the then Secretary-General of the alliance, Anders Fogh Rasmussen. It was assumed that its numbers would be from 3,000 to 5,000 military personnel ready to start combat missions within 2-3 days.
A year later, the new head of the alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, said that, against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, NATO intends to double its Spearhead Force, bringing the NRF strength to 30,000 - 40,000.
It should be noted that there are 450 NATO instructors in Ukraine.