NATO approves military upgrades to aid members of alliance

Rejecting charges of engaging in a Cold War-style arms race with Russia, the U.S. and its NATO allies have approved military upgrades that should help them come to the aid of a threatened alliance member faster, with better equipment and more firepower. Meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter and counterparts from Canada and NATO’s European member nations ordered an increase in the strength of the alliance’s Response Force, which was 13,000 at the start of 2015, to as many as 40,000.

We stand united in the way we are addressing the challenges we face.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said.

They also added air, sea and special forces units to the force, which includes a highly mobile, multinational “spearhead” brigade of 5,000 ground troops the ministers ordered to be formed in February so NATO can reinforce any alliance member under threat within 48 hours. Ministers also made it simpler and quicker for NATO generals and civilian officials to mobilize the force and bring it into action. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said NATO will also develop more detailed advance plans to use in the case of crisis, and that a new joint logistics headquarters will be opened to help the NATO force deploy faster with the gear and supplies it needs.

We do not seek confrontation. And we do not want a new arms race. We want to keep our nations safe. And faced with many challenges from many directions, we need to be prepared.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said.

World NATO