NATO’s North Atlantic Council has approved a new framework providing more flexibility for partner nations to augment the alliance’s forces. The concept, dubbed Partners Augmentation Forces to NATO, was announced at the opening of the Military Strategic Partnership Conference scheduled from April 8 to 12 in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, National Defense Magazine reported Tuesday.
NATO’s Allied Command Operations is preparing the framework’s directive, which will be issued in June, according to Canadian Army Lt. Col. Darcy Wright, SO1 of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe’s Partnership Directorate.
Wright said the framework will establish a pool of allied forces to supplement NATO’s current force model. The alliance’s traditional processes will not restrict the creation of the augmentation force, providing flexibility for partners joining the pool.
The official stressed that the flexible setup provides the military alliance with “a wider pool of forces and a wider commitment of forces.”
Partners who want to join the pool must file a letter of intent and undergo a military assessment on NATO interoperability.