NATO Future Analysis

"The future task is not to foresee it, but to enable it."

All NATO nations have the common desire to protect their territory and population. This requires concentration on the core tasks and the ability to monitor global security changes.

Although the future cannot be predicted, it may at least be anticipated by using tools like the Strategic Foresight Analysis (SFA) and the Framework for Future Alliance Operations (FFAO). Both initiatives also provide opportunities for promoting national ideas and interests. NATO future analysis is further a place for exchanging knowledge and it offers room for comprehensive examinations of the complex and constantly evolving security environment.

Allied operations are more than just war fighting tactics; they are a combination of political, military and future technological aspects, which altogether enable mission success.

SFA and FFAO are iterative and adaptive processes which are – under the lead of Headquarters Allied Command Transformation – updated on a four-year cycle in concert with the NATO Defense Planning Process (NDPP). The overall aim is to provide a thorough perspective of the challenges and opportunities facing the Alliance in the decades to come.

Thus, the products of the SFA and FFAO initiatives provide valuable information for defence planners and senior leaders as they prepare the Alliance to meet future challenges.

The COE CSW permanently contributes to these enterprises by providing Subject Matter Expertise in the field of operations in Confined and Shallow Waters.

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