Since 1999 the Norwegian Defence University College (NDUC) in partnership with Norwegian Institute for Foreign Affairs (NUPI) have organised an annually seminar according to the agreement between the two institutions, the ‘Military Power Seminar’, focuses on different topics within the field of security and strategic studies. It would, however, be a mistake to interpret the purpose of the seminar to be purely academic. Rather the seminar should be seen in the context of policy making. The seminar provides an important arena where Norwegian politicians and representatives from the Norwegian Armed Forces to openly express their views on and discuss current challenges and critical questions. Results from recently conducted research are brought in by academics to vitalize the discussions and might in some cases even serve as an arbitrator. Naturally, the seminar also provides an arena for the organisers to show their relevance in this context. This aspect is not least important to NUPI whose connection to military matters might not be that obvious, at least not when it comes to the operational and tactical levels. For the NDUC, the seminar provides an excellent opportunity to link up with the academic community and with policy makers.
The 10th Military Power seminar was held in the beginning of December 2008 at the Norwegian Red Cross Conference Centre in Oslo. The seminar focused on the future role of NATO and what implications different forms of transformation might have for Norway.
This year, 2009, NATO celebrates its 60th anniversary. The work towards development of a new strategic concept has already started. Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, NATO’s Secretary General, has presented several reasons why new strategic guidance is needed. Firstly, the world has changed since the current concept was adopted in 1999. September 11th, Afghanistan and Iraq are all well-known examples of these changes. One main purpose of the new concept is to explain the relevance of the organisation in relation to the new strategic settings. Secondly, the economic burden is heavier than ever. A new concept with a new strategic vision will provide priorities and hence cost efficiency. NATO’s means are today solely military. Hence, any effective future strategy for NATO should take into consideration the inclusion of other means in the over all conflict management. Closer cooperation with other multilateral actors such as the EU and the UN might be the solution suitable for all the organisations involved.
So, what questions will the strategic revision revolve around? What impacts will the transatlantic burden sharing debate have? Will the
inclusion of non-military capabilities into the arsenal of the organisation be demanded? How will the process of further enlargement be
managed? Will there be missile defence architecture after all? How will the balance between out-of-area missions and collective defence
responsibilities be handled? Furthermore, how will the new administrations in Russia and the US relate to NATO in the future? What about the relationship between the EU and NATO? And what are NATO’s operational challenges regarding counter-insurgency and comprehensive approach? Which lessons can we draw so far from Afghanistan? And will NATO have an increasing role to play in Africa? Finally, and most important, what should be Norway's priorities with regard to the new strategic concept? And what are possible implications for the Norwegian defence structures? Some of these questions were addressed at the Military Power Seminar 2008.
The Conference Proceedings focuses, however, only on five topics. In the first chapter, Mathew Burrows presents the executive summary from the report ‘Global Trends 2025’, presented by the US National Intelligence Council in the fall of 2008. In the second chapter Barry R. Posen presents what he considers might be the strategic priorities of the Obama Administration and how these priorities might affect NATO. In the third chapter Oksana Antonenko discuss Russia’s NATO Policy under the Medvedev Administration. Nina Græger discusses, in the fourth chapter, the impact of the developments in NATO on Norway’s security- and defence politics. Finally, Admiral Jørgen Berggrav elaborates on transformation in the armed forces and the expectations (and demands) of NATO on its members. The two last chapters are based on introductions presented in Norwegian, and are, hence also written in Norwegian.
