An Analysis of the NATO Special Operations Transformation Initiative and the NATO Special Operations Coordination Centre

The NATO Special Operations Transformation Initiative, agreed to at the 2006 Riga Summit, established three goals for NATO special operations: first, to improve the representation of special operations expertise at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE); second to create a federation of special operations training centers, and third to create a coordination center for all NATO special operations activities. This agreement led to the creation of the NATO Special Operations Coordination Centre (NSCC), which has become central to all three goals. This paper evaluates how well NATO has resourced the NSCC, examines the effectiveness of that organization, and analyzes decisions made by the North Atlantic Council to address the challenges of special operations command and control in multinational combat operations. The paper explains how in just three years the NSCC has proven itself a valuable entity whose progress has emboldened the North Atlantic Council to create a more robust Special Operations Headquarters which for the first time will bring special operations as a function to a comparable level of representation as NATO's existing functional headquarters for land, maritime and air forces. The paper explores personnel, intelligence sharing, C4I and funding challenges associated with a forthcoming NATO Special Operations Headquarters.