NATO is set to unveil its new Allied Reaction Force (ARF) on Monday, 1st July 2024, as part of a significant enhancement to its strategy of deterring Russia.

The announcement, made via NATO’s Allied Command Operations Twitter account, underscores the Alliance’s commitment to bolstering its readiness and response capabilities in the face of evolving global threats.

“Get ready for an exciting announcement! On Monday, 1st July 2024, we’ll be introducing the new Allied Reaction Force (ARF), a key component of NATO’s enhanced defence strategy. Stay tuned and come back to our channel for all the details,” the tweet read.

The ARF is designed to replace the NATO Response Force (NRF) and will be integrated into a new three-tiered system of Allied forces aimed at improving NATO’s ability to deter and defend against threats, particularly from Russia.

This restructuring is part of a broader initiative agreed upon at the Vilnius Summit in 2023, which seeks to address deficiencies in NATO’s previous force structures.

The force will be multi-domain, incorporating capabilities in cyber and space alongside traditional land, air, and maritime elements. This marks a shift from the previous NRF, which faced criticism for its limitations.

The ARF aims to be more agile and capable, addressing the need for rapid response forces in today’s security landscape; in short, it’ll be cheaper and quicker to deploy.

The ARF, say the Alliance. is expected to enhance NATO’s deterrence and defence capabilities, ensuring that the Alliance can effectively respond to any crisis or threat within the Euro-Atlantic area.

We aim to deliver accurate and timely news on defence matters at the UK Defence Journal. We rely on the support of readers like you to maintain our independence and high-quality journalism. Please consider making a one-off donation to help us continue our work. Click here to donate. Thank you for your support!

To sign up for our newsletter, click here

Lisa West
Lisa West
Lisa has a degree in Media & Communication from Glasgow Caledonian University and works with industry news, sifting through press releases in addition to moderating website comments.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

10 COMMENTS

  1. I’m pleased cyber and space are now included domains, finding it hard to understand how space could be excluded from any multi-domain operation. Nevertheless, is it really that exciting if something gets renamed? Isn’t it just another acronym to learn? NATO didn’t get the “spiral development” memo, it seems.

    • NATO has 3.5 million military personnel. All it actually needs are rebrands to tell it how to equip, train and deploy its existing personnel.

  3. Blimey. Did the MoD’s own spin doctors write that?
    “Agile, capable”
    Heard those before.
    It is all “new” you know.

    • When I read “Agile, capable”, I usually interpret as cut even closer to the bone.
      What we need is details. Combat troops deployable, combat aircraft, warships.

      If Russia was afraid of rebrands & new quangos they’d never have invaded UKR.

  4. The NRF comprises units with various response times.

    • The Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF): this ‘spearhead force’ is the unit that can be deployed most rapidly.
    • Initial Follow-on Forces Group (IFFG): units with a longer response time, which can reinforce the VJTF.
    • Follow-on Forces Group (FFG): units without a pre-determined response time.

    So we have another exciting opportunity to rename the
    the bits of it too. I think the ARF should be made up of the “Ultra Agile” (UA), the “Not Quite as Agile” (NQA), and the “Can’t it Wait for Bake Off to Finish?” (CIWBOF).

  5. Feel free to enlighten yourselves with a few facts by reading the “The new NATO Force Model: ready for launch”

    3 tiers of forces-

    Tier 1, with 100’000 troops within 0 to 10 days
    Tier 2, with 200’00 within 10 to 30 days
    Tier 3, with 500’000 withing 30 to 180 day

    Plus the ARF

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here