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NATO’s current efforts to address two different forms of strategic competition - one from the East and one from the South were a focus of discussions between General Philip Breedlove, Supreme Allied Commander Europe and General Tom Middendorp, the Chief of Defence Netherlands Armed Forces in The Hague, Netherlands, March 25 and 26, 2015.
During the visit, General Breedlove provided remarks to senior military and political leaders as well as strategists and media, followed by a question and answer session as part of the Future Force Conference 2015 hosted by General Middendorp at The National Military Museum in Soest, Netherlands. The main areas of discussion included the importance of intelligence sharing, the ongoing adaptation of the NATO Response Force in response to hybrid threats, and the importance of investing in the modernization of military forces.
"NATO nations are responding, nationally, multi-laterally, and collectively, to address the risk of Hybrid Warfare in its various forms. Implementing and operationalizing the Readiness Action Plan is fundamental to our security and addressing the evolving strategic security environment, as are the multiple lines of work NATO has initiated since the Wales Summit,” said Gen. Breedlove. "Combined, these Alliance actions will make us more prepared for Hybrid Warfare and more secure in this very challenging and dangerous 21st century.”
During the visit, SACEUR also discussed the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force, VJTF and the significant role the Netherlands Armed Forces have in developing the VJTF test-bed, cyber defense strategies and the importance of using the budget wisely for future investments in military capability.
General Breedlove also thanked the Netherlands officials for their continued support to NATO operations.
"Your ongoing efforts in Afghanistan on RESOLUTE SUPPORT as well as other NATO operations and exercises reflect your strong commitment to our collective security,” he said.