The Alliance’s Strategic Concept (1991)

Rome, Italy - 7-8 November 1991

Agreed upon by the Heads of State and Government participating in the meeting of the North Atlantic Council.

---

A New Strategic Environment

The Alliance’s 1991 Strategic Concept was a response to the profound political changes in Central and Eastern Europe since 1989, which significantly improved the security environment. Key developments included:

• The former Soviet satellites regaining sovereignty.
• The Soviet Union undergoing radical change and the Baltic Republics regaining independence.
• The dismantling of the Warsaw Pact.
• The reunification of Germany as a full member of NATO.
• Significant progress in arms control, including the INF Treaty (1987), the CFE Treaty (1990), and the START Treaty (1991).

Despite these positive changes, uncertainties and risks to Alliance security remained. The monolithic threat of a full-scale attack had been removed, but new risks were multi-faceted and multi-directional, stemming from instabilities in Central and Eastern Europe, the significant military capabilities of the Soviet Union, and instability in the Southern Mediterranean and Middle East.

A Broad Approach to Security

The new Strategic Concept emphasized a broad approach to security, incorporating three mutually reinforcing elements: dialogue, cooperation, and the maintenance of a collective defense capability.

• Dialogue: To be promoted with the Soviet Union and other Central and Eastern European countries through diplomatic liaison and military contacts.
• Cooperation: To develop broader patterns of bilateral and multilateral cooperation in European security to prevent and manage crises.
• Collective Defence: An adequate military capability and preparedness for collective action remained central to security objectives.

Guidelines for Defence

• The presence of North American conventional and US nuclear forces in Europe remained vital.
• The Alliance would maintain an appropriate mix of nuclear and conventional forces, at a significantly reduced level.
• The new force posture moved away from forward defense towards a reduced forward presence and modified flexible response to reflect reduced reliance on nuclear weapons.

Force Posture

• Conventional Forces: Would include immediate and rapid reaction forces, main defense forces, and augmentation forces, with a greater reliance on mobilization and reserves.
• Nuclear Forces: The fundamental purpose was political: to preserve peace and prevent coercion and war. The Alliance would maintain adequate nuclear forces in Europe at the minimum level sufficient, and would significantly reduce sub-strategic nuclear forces, eliminating nuclear artillery and ground-launched short-range nuclear missiles.

---

The 1991 Strategic Concept reaffirmed the Alliance’s defensive nature and its commitment to safeguarding security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity through dialogue, cooperation, and effective collective defense. It aimed to maintain security at the lowest possible level of forces consistent with defense requirements and to promote a lasting peaceful order.