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If any professional military person was given the choice of selecting the single issue that has dominated the force planning and force structuring process over the past 10 to 15 years, one can bet with certainty that the issue of "change" would top the list, or
at least come very close. The world military and political paradigm changes virtually on a daily basis; events occur, and reactions are made to them, at a pace that tests the imaginations of even the most resolute and organized leaders.
Further complicating the issue is the dramatic increase in the rate of this change; changes occur more frequently, we are better informed about them and as such we are expected to react to them ever more quickly. One is reminded of the classic "OODA" (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) Loop used to describe, among other things, the use of the decision cycle in manoeuvre warfare. It is this author's contention that the loop headings are valid today, but that the technology which underpins the "OODA" process, coupled with the increasing rate of this change, places more pressure on industry, the Defence Procurement machine, and the leaders and Force Planners of today. To the leader, then, the task is simple: design a force, or at least a template for a force or structure, that will withstand today's challenges.
BACKGROUND
NATO forces require a versatile composition, a robust command and control capability and sound logistic support in order to meet assigned missions. Underpinning these basics is the concomitant requirement for prudent force structuring. Therefore, a process known as the NATO Force Structure Review (NFSR) was undertaken. The NFSR was initiated after the NATO Strategic Concept and its counterpart military guidance Military Committee (MC) 400/2 - had been agreed. The aim of the NFSR is to define a structure for HQs and forces that would meet the challenges and missions outlined in the Strategic Concept and Ministerial Guidance, and which also matches the demands of DCI.
* The NATO National Chiefs of Defence (CHODs) endorsed a two-track approach: Track One was to develop a conceptual document (known as MC 317/1) on the principles and parameters for the new Force Structure; Track two was to initiate a development process asking nations for...