The NATO Response Force (NRF) was launched in November 2002 at the Alliance’s Prague Summit. The brainchild of US defense leaders, the NRF was intended to strengthen NATO’s readiness and responsiveness as well as act as a catalyst for capability development (especially in Europe). As one of its conceptual forebears has written, the goal was to create a “real-life force with a C4ISR structure and assigned combat units, not merely a disorganized troop list,” pulled together on an ad hoc basis. The problem is this original defining strength of the NRF has been revealed as its Achilles heel.

Key Takeaways:
1:45: John talks about what the NATO Response Force is, when it was formed, and what its role is in NATO
4:32: John shares his thoughts on why he strongly believes that NATO does not need the NRF and how its multinational approach has primarily become NATO’s weakness
7:18: John talks about the challenges of deploying the NRF
10:52: John talks about what the NRF would have done if it had been used by NATO in a situation like Crimea
12:22: John explains the similarities between enhanced forward presence (eFP) and the NRF
14:13: John explains why the NRF should be disbanded since eFP fulfills the same purpose
16:57: John talks about why the NRF is slower to respond to crises
24:33: John discusses how he would convince allies that are wedded to the capabilities of the NRF to consider his suggestion to disband it and also what they would replace it with
27:22: John explains who pays for NRF resources and how that money would go back into preparing capabilities if the NRF was disbanded
28:27: John posits the benefits of his proposed plug-and-play model compared to the NRF
32:07: John talks about how disbanding the NRF would be received at the Alliance
34:00: John explains the need for greater interoperability
35:05: John talks about why defense establishments are needed now more than ever and how the NRF no longer plays into this

Resources Mentioned:
https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/content-series/nato20-2020/disband-the-nato-response-force/
Enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) is a NATO-allied forward deployed defense and deterrence military posture in Central Europe through Poland and Northern Europe through Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, in order to protect and reassure NATO's Central and Northern European member states on NATO's eastern flank of their security.
The Baltic States, also known as the Baltic countries, Baltic republics, Baltic nations, or simply the Baltics, is a geopolitical term, typically used to group the three sovereign states on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
www.atlanticcouncil.org

Quotes Mentioned:
“The NATO Response Force, or NRF, is essentially NATO's 911 force.”
“There are allies that contribute to the NRF that are reluctant to see it used in this way to essentially put their troops within harm's way.”
“NRF is very expensive to maintain and the Alliance has yet to use it for its intended purpose.”
“Some allies view NRF as an absolute last resort, break glass when necessary.”
“Allies in favor of the NRF claim that it has really contributed to building up capabilities within Europe, to building up interoperability, to building up capacity within Europe.”
“Why would we as allies build up and maintain an asset that simply sits on the shelf, it's not efficient, it's not effective.”

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