UPDATE - NATO Military Committee chair says alliance is stronger, more ready than ever before

ADDS REMARKS BY CZECH REPUBLIC’S DEFENSE CHIEF

By Esra Tekin

ISTANBUL (AA) - The changes in NATO structure and exercises in the last year are a sign of "a new era of collective defense," the alliance’s Military Committee chair said Saturday, adding that it "is stronger and more ready than ever before."

Adm. Rob Bauer said the military alliance has made significant strides by placing 500,000 troops on high readiness, establishing the NATO Allied Reaction Force (ARF), updating its command structure and conducting its largest collective defense exercise since the Cold War, with Steadfast Defender, involving more than 90,000 troops across Germany, Poland and the Baltic states in the past year.

“This demonstrates that a new era of collective defense is upon us, and NATO is stronger and readier than ever, but the responsibility for freedom does not rest on the shoulders of those in uniform alone,” Bauer said at a news conference in Prague with Czech Armed Forces Chief of General Staff Lieut. Gen. Karel Rehka.

He added that the chiefs of defense discussed “the fact that strong deterrence requires strong societal resilience” during the Military Committee Conference in Prague.

“It requires a whole-of-society approach, with a keen role for the private sector, not only our defense industries but our whole economies. We need to realize that peace is no longer a given. Private businesses, too, have a role to play in deterrence and defense, because while it may be the military who wins battles, it is the economies that win wars,” he said.

He said war is a "whole societal event," which can be seen in Ukraine.

Bauer vowed that NATO will increase its coordinating role in Ukraine, indicating a long-term commitment and a step closer to displaying the Ukrainian flag at NATO headquarters.

“NATO will take up a greater coordinating role in the support for Ukraine. This marks an investment in our collective future, ensuring Ukraine's support for the long haul and another step towards having the Ukrainian flag in front of the NATO headquarters,” said Bauer.

He stressed that the alliance is working hard to launch a new security assistance and training program for Ukraine, which will feature a command center in Germany and logistic hubs in Eastern Europe, supported by around 700 personnel.

Bauer said the Military Committee Conference addressed "two Herculean tasks that we need to undertake simultaneously," as he urged the alliance to strengthen its deterrence and defense while "continuing and ramping up" its support for Ukraine.

Emphasizing that there is “no more powerful weapon” than the alliance’s unity, he said the meeting sent a message that NATO is “working tirelessly to protect our way of life, our values, our security.”

“In order to do that, we must bolster our deterrence. Preparedness preserves peace. Preparedness prevents conflicts,” he added.

Highlighting his country’s “heavy support” to Ukraine “from the very beginning,” the defense chief of the Czech Republic underlined the “hybrid activities and hybrid threats from the Russian Federation.”

“We assess that the number of different hybrid activities and the overall trend is worrying, and that's a challenge, not only for the military. It's a challenge for the whole society. Most of the acts are not in the area of military responsibilities, but it has a direct impact on our ability to execute our defense plans and to function as a military so there was also important discussion,” he added.