NATO is one of the most influential military-political associations in the world. Exists for over 60 years. Initially, the alliance was created as a structure designed to counteract the policy of the USSR and the possible revival of the military aspirations of capitulated Germany. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, most of the Eastern European countries of the former socialist camp joined the ranks of NATO. A number of analysts speak of the prospects for Georgia and Ukraine to join the bloc (albeit in the distant future). An interesting fact is that both the USSR and modern Russia made attempts to enter NATO (or declare joint military-political cooperation on key global issues). Now NATO includes 28 countries.
The United States plays the leading role militarily in this organization. The bloc oversees the Partnership for Peace program and, together with the Russian Federation, organizes the work of the Russia-NATO Council. It consists of two main structures - the International Secretariat and the Military Committee. Has a huge military resource (Reaction Forces). NATO headquarters is located in the Belgian capital of Brussels. The alliance has two official languages - French and English. The organization is led by a general secretary. The NATO budget is divided into three types - civil, military(the most financially capacious) and in terms of funding the security program. The military forces of the alliance participated in armed conflicts in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992-1995), Yugoslavia (1999), and Libya (2011). NATO leads the international military contingent to ensure security in Kosovo, participates in solving military-political tasks in Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Tracks the interaction between military structures in the Mediterranean region, identifying organizations involved in the supply of weapons of mass destruction. The Alliance is actively involved in international dialogues with Russia, China, India and other major powers. According to a number of researchers, the tension between NATO and Russia, as the successor of the USSR, has never disappeared, and at the moment continues to grow.
Creation of NATO
NATO bloc was formed in 1949 by twelve states. The geographically leading countries of the organization being created, including the United States, the most politically and militarily influential state, had access to the Atlantic Ocean, which influenced the name of the new international structure. NATO (NATO) is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, that is, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It is often referred to as the Alliance.
The purpose of the bloc was to counter the political aspirations of the Soviet Union and its friendly countries in Eastern Europe and other parts of the world. According to treaties between NATO countries, mutual military protection was provided in the event ofaggression of the states of the communist world. At the same time, this political union contributed to the integration trends in the countries that formed it. Greece and Turkey joined NATO in 1952, Germany in 1956, and Spain in 1982. After the collapse of the USSR, the bloc further expanded its influence in the world.
NATO after the collapse of the USSR
When the USSR collapsed, it would seem that the need for the continued existence of the North Atlantic Alliance disappeared. But it didn't work out that way. NATO members not only decided to keep the bloc, but also to begin to expand their influence. In 1991, the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council was created, which began to oversee work with countries that are not members of the NATO bloc. In the same year, bilateral agreements were signed between the states of the Alliance, Russia and Ukraine.
In 1995, a program was established to build a dialogue with the countries of the Middle East (Israel and Jordan), North Africa (Egypt, Tunisia) and the Mediterranean. Mauritania, Morocco and Algeria also joined. In 2002, the Russia-NATO Council was created, which allowed countries to continue to build a dialogue on key issues of world politics - the fight against terrorism, limiting the spread of weapons.
NATO soldier uniform
The NATO uniform worn by the bloc's soldiers has never been unified. Military camouflage on national standards, all that is more or less similar is green and khaki shades. Sometimes military personnel put on additional types of clothing (so-called camouflage overalls) during special operations inspecial conditions (desert or steppe). In some countries, the NATO uniform contains various patterns and patterns to achieve better camouflage of soldiers.
In the US, for example, camouflage colors are the most popular in the five main standards. Firstly, it is woodland - clothes with four shades of green. Secondly, this is the desert 3 color - a uniform for military operations in the desert, containing three shades. Third, the desert 6-color is another option for desert combat, this time with six shades. And there are two winter versions of the military uniform - winter (light or milky white color) and snow winter (absolutely snow-white shade). All this color scheme is a reference for the designers of many other armies that dress their soldiers in NATO camouflage.
The evolution of the military uniform of the US Army is interesting. Camouflage as such is a relatively recent invention. Until the early 70s, American soldiers wore mostly green clothes. But during the operation in Vietnam, this coloring turned out to be inappropriate for fighting in the jungle, as a result, the soldiers changed into camouflage, allowing them to disguise themselves in the rainforest. In the 70s, this type of uniform became practically the national standard for the US Army. Camouflage modifications gradually appeared - the same five shades.
NATO Armed Forces
NATO has a significant military force, collectively the largest in the world, according to some military experts. There are two types of troopsAlliance - united and national. The key unit of the NATO army of the first type is the reaction force. They are ready for almost immediate participation in special operations in zones of local and spontaneous military conflicts, including in countries outside the bloc. NATO also has an immediate reaction force. Moreover, the emphasis in their use is not on the practical use of weapons, but on the psychological effect - by transferring a large number of various weapons and soldiers to the place of hostilities. The calculation is that the warring parties, realizing the impending power of NATO, will change their tactics in favor of a peaceful settlement.
The bloc has a powerful air force. NATO planes are 22 combat aviation squadrons (about 500 units of aviation equipment). The block also has 80 military transport aircraft at its disposal. The countries of the NATO bloc also have a combat-ready fleet. It includes aircraft carriers, submarines (including multi-purpose nuclear submarines), frigates, missile boats, and naval aviation. More than 100 NATO warships.
NATO's largest military structure is the main defensive force. Their activation is possible only in the event of large-scale military operations in the Atlantic region. In peacetime, they participate in combat operations mostly partially. NATO's main defensive forces include more than 4,000 aircraft and more than 500 ships.
How NATO expanded
So, after the collapse of the USSR, the NATO bloc continued to exist, moreover,increased its influence in the world. In 1999, the states that until recently were part of the sphere of influence of the Soviet Union - Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic - joined the North Atlantic Alliance. Five years later - other former socialist countries: Bulgaria, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, as well as the B altic states. In 2009, new NATO members appeared - Albania and Croatia. Against the background of the political crisis and hostilities in Ukraine, some experts believe that NATO will not show aspirations to expand further. In particular, during the talks between the leadership of the bloc and representatives of Ukraine, the issue of the country's entry into NATO, analysts say, is not directly raised.
At the same time, according to a number of experts, many countries are willing to join the bloc. These are primarily the Balkan states - Montenegro, Macedonia, as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina. Speaking about which countries are striving to join NATO with all their might, Georgia should be noted. True, according to some analysts, the conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia are factors that reduce the attractiveness of the country for the bloc. There is an opinion among experts that the further expansion of NATO depends on the position of Russia. For example, at the Bucharest summit in 2008, the bloc admitted the possibility of joining some countries of the former USSR, but did not name specific dates because of Vladimir Putin's opinion that the emergence of NATO near Russia's borders was a direct threat. This position of the Russian Federation remains relevant today. However, some Western analysts believe the fearsRussia bankrupt.
Allied military exercises
Because NATO is a military organization, large-scale military exercises are common for it. They involve a variety of types of troops. At the end of 2013, what many military analysts considered to be the largest NATO exercise called Steadfast Jazz was held in Eastern Europe. They were accepted by Poland and the B altic states - Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia. NATO convened more than 6,000 military personnel from different countries to participate in the exercises, attracted 300 combat vehicles, over 50 aircraft, 13 warships. The conditional opponent of the bloc was the fictional state of "Botnia", which committed an act of aggression against Estonia.
The country invented by military analysts experienced a social, political and economic crisis, as a result of which it spoiled relations with foreign partners. As a result, the contradictions resulted in a war, which began with the invasion of "Botnia" in Estonia. On the basis of collective defense treaties, the NATO military-political bloc decided to immediately transfer forces to protect the small B altic state.
Some stages of the exercise were observed by representatives of the Russian armed forces (in turn, a few months before the joint maneuvers of the Russian Federation and Belarus were observed by NATO military). The leadership of the North Atlantic bloc spoke about the possibility of holding joint military events with Russia. Experts noted that the mutual openness of NATO and the Russian Federation during military exercises contributes totrust.
NATO and the United States - the bloc's leading military power - have planned exercises in southern Europe in 2015. It is assumed that about 40 thousand soldiers will participate in them.
Allied weapons
Russian military experts name several samples of military equipment of the bloc, which have no analogues in the world or very few. This is a NATO weapon, which speaks of the high combat capability of the army of the North Atlantic Alliance. Russia, military analysts believe, needs to be especially wary of five types of weapons. Firstly, this is a British-made Challenger 2 tank. It is armed with a 120 mm cannon and equipped with powerful armor. The tank is able to move at a good speed - about 25 miles per hour. Secondly, this is a submarine, assembled according to the so-called "Project-212" by German defense enterprises. It is characterized by low noise, decent speed (20 knots), excellent armament (WASS 184, DM2A4 torpedoes), as well as a missile system. Thirdly, the NATO army has Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft. According to their characteristics, they are close to the so-called fifth generation fighters - the American F-22 and the Russian T-50. The vehicle is equipped with a 27mm cannon and a variety of air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles. Some experts believe that only the newest models of Russian aircraft, such as the Su-35, can compete on equal terms with the Typhoon. Another notable NATO weapon is the Eurocopter Tiger helicopter co-produced by France and Germany. According to its characteristics, it is close to the legendaryAmerican AH-64 "Apache", but smaller in size and weight, which can give the car an advantage during the battle. The helicopter is armed with a variety of missiles ("air-to-air", anti-tank). The Spike missile, which is produced by Israeli defense companies, is another NATO weapon that the Russian military, according to analysts, should pay attention to. Spike is an effective anti-tank weapon. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that it is equipped with a two-stage warhead: the first one penetrates the outer layer of the tank's armor, the second - the inner one.
Military bases of the North Atlantic Alliance
On the territory of each of the countries of the North Atlantic Alliance there is at least one military base of NATO. Consider Hungary as an example of a former country of the socialist bloc. The first NATO base appeared here in 1998. The US government used the Hungarian Tasar airfield during the operation with Yugoslavia - mainly drones and F-18 aircraft took off from here. At the same air base in 2003, military specialists from among the opposition-minded groups in Iraq were trained (shortly before the start of hostilities by the US army in this Middle Eastern country). Speaking about the allies of the Americans among the Western countries regarding the deployment of military bases on their territory, it is worth mentioning Italy in particular. Immediately after the end of World War II, this state began to host large contingents of US naval forces.
Now the Pentagon operates ports in Naples, as well as airfields in Vicenza, Piacenza, Trapani, Istrana andmany other Italian cities. The most famous NATO base in Italy is Aviano. It was built back in the 50s, but is still considered by many military experts to be the best in the region. On it, apart from the infrastructure for take-off and landing of aircraft, there are hangars in which aviation equipment can take refuge in the event of bombing. There is navigation equipment, which can be used for combat sorties at night and in almost any weather. New NATO bases in Europe include Bezmer, Graf Ignatievo and Novo Selo in Bulgaria. According to the government of this Balkan country, the deployment of NATO troops will enhance the security of the state, and will also have a positive impact on the level of training of the armed forces.
Russia and NATO
Russia and NATO, despite the long experience of political confrontation in the 20th century, are making attempts at constructive interaction in the international arena. As mentioned above, in 1991 a number of documents were signed on the joint resolution of certain issues in world politics. In 1994, the Russian Federation joined the Partnership for Peace program initiated by the North Atlantic Alliance. In 1997, Russia and NATO signed an act on cooperation and security, a Permanent Joint Council was created, which soon became the main resource for seeking consensus during consultations between the Russian Federation and the bloc. The events in Kosovo, according to analysts, have greatly undermined the mutual trust of Russia and the alliance. But, despite this, the cooperation continued. In particular, the work of the Council includes regular diplomatic meetings between ambassadors and representativesarmies. The main areas of cooperation within the Council are the fight against terrorism, the control of weapons of mass destruction, missile defense, as well as interaction in emergency situations. One of the key points of cooperation is the suppression of drug trafficking in Central Asia. Relations between the bloc and the Russian Federation became more complicated after the war in Georgia in August 2008, as a result of which the dialogue within the framework of the Russia-NATO Council was suspended. But already in the summer of 2009, thanks to the efforts of the foreign ministers, the Council resumed work in a number of key areas.
Prospects for the North Atlantic Alliance
A number of experts believe that the continued existence of NATO and the prospects for expanding the bloc's influence depend on the state of the economy of the participating countries. The fact is that military partnership within the framework of this organization implies a certain percentage of the expenditures of the state budgets of the allies for defense. But now the state of affairs in the budgetary policy of many developed countries is far from ideal. The governments of a number of NATO member states, according to analysts, do not have the financial resources for large-scale investments in the armed forces. Moreover, the example of the United States is indicative - it has been calculated that the military interventions of recent years have brought losses to the American economy by one and a half trillion dollars. Apparently, none of the allies wants to experience such effects from the use of military force on the world stage. In 2010-2013, the budget allocations of most European countries that are members of NATO for defense did not exceed 2% of GDP (onlyUK, Greece and Estonia). While in the 90s, an indicator of 3-4% was considered quite natural.
There is a version that the EU countries are inclined to pursue a military policy independent of the US. Germany is particularly active in this direction. But this again rests on the financial component: the creation of armed forces in Europe comparable to the American ones can cost hundreds of billions of dollars. EU countries experiencing economic stagnation may not be able to afford such costs.
