The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)'s Military Committee (abbr. MC) is the body that is composed of member states' chiefs of defence (CHOD). These national CHODs are regularly represented in the MC by their permanent Military Representatives (MilRep), who often are officers of the rank of general and admiral. Like the Council, from time to time the Military Committee also meets at a higher level, namely at the level of Chiefs of Defence, the most senior military officer in each nation's armed forces.

Role

Chairman in 2014, General Knud Bartels

The MC assists and advises the North Atlantic Council (NAC), Defence Planning Committee (DPC), and Nuclear Planning Group (NPG) on military matters including policy and strategy. Its principal role is to provide direction and advice on military policy and strategy. It provides guidance on military matters to the Supreme Allied Commanders of Allied Command Operations and Allied Command Transformation, whose representatives attend its meetings, and is responsible for the overall conduct of the military affairs of the Alliance under the authority of the Council. The executive body of the MC is the International Military Staff (IMS).

Current NATO Chiefs of Defence

MemberCHODMemberCHODMemberCHOD
Albania Chief of the General Staff of Albania Member since 1 April 2009Lieutenant General Arben Kingji[de; nl] of the Albanian Land ForceBelgium Chief of Defence of Belgium Member since 24 August 1949General Frederik Vansina of the Belgian Air ComponentBulgaria Chief of Defence of Bulgaria Member since 29 March 2004Admiral Emil Eftimov of the Bulgarian Navy
Canada Chief of the Defence Staff of Canada Member since 24 August 1949General Jennie Carignan of the Canadian ArmyCroatia Chief of the General Staff of Croatia Member since 1 April 2009Colonel General Tihomir Kundid of the Croatian ArmyCzech Republic Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Republic Member since 12 March 1999Army General Karel Řehka of the Czech Special Forces
Denmark Chief of Defence of Denmark Member since 24 August 1949General Michael Hyldgaard[da] of the Royal Danish ArmyEstonia Commander of the Defence Forces of Estonia Member since 29 March 2004Lieutenant General Andrus Merilo of the Estonian Land ForcesFinland Chief of Defence of Finland Member since 4 April 2023General Janne Jaakkola of the Finnish Army
France Chief of the Defence Staff of France Member since 24 August 1949Air Army General Fabien Mandon of the French Air and Space ForceGermany Inspector General of the Bundeswehr of Germany Member since 6 May 1955General Carsten Breuer of the German ArmyGreece Chief of the General Staff of Greece Member since 18 February 1952General Dimitrios Choupis[el] of the Hellenic Army
Hungary Chief of the General Staff of Hungary Member since 12 March 1999Colonel General Gábor Böröndi of the Hungarian Ground ForcesIceland Director of the Security and Defence Department of Iceland Member since 24 August 1949Jónas G. AllanssonItaly Chief of the Defence Staff of Italy Member since 24 August 1949General Luciano Portolano of the Italian Army
Latvia Commander of the Joint Headquarters of Latvia Member since 29 March 2004Major General Kaspars Pudāns of the Latvian National GuardLithuania Chief of Defence of Lithuania Member since 29 March 2004General Raimundas Vaikšnoras of the Lithuanian Land ForceLuxembourg Chief of Defence of Luxembourg Member since 24 August 1949General Steve Thull of the Luxembourg Army
Montenegro Chief of the General Staff of Montenegro Member since 5 June 2017Brigadier General Miodrag Vuksanović of the Montenegrin Ground ArmyNetherlands Chief of Defence of the Netherlands Member since 24 August 1949General Onno Eichelsheim of the Royal Netherlands Air and Space ForceNorth Macedonia Chief of the General Staff of North Macedonia Member since 27 March 2020Major General Saško Lafčiski of the North Macedonian Special Forces
Norway Chief of Defence of Norway Member since 24 August 1949General Eirik Kristoffersen of the Norwegian ArmyPoland Chief of the General Staff of Poland Member since 12 March 1999General Wiesław Kukuła of the Polish Territorial Defence ForcesPortugal Chief of the General Staff of Portugal Member since 24 August 1949General José Nunes da Fonseca of the Portuguese Army
Romania Chief of the General Staff of Romania Member since 29 March 2004General Gheorghiță Vlad[he] of the Romanian Land ForcesSlovakia Chief of the General Staff of Slovakia Member since 29 March 2004General Daniel Zmeko of the Slovak Ground ForcesSlovenia Chief of the General Staff of Slovenia Member since 29 March 2004Major General Boštjan Močnik of the Slovenian Ground Force
Spain Chief of the Defence Staff of Spain Member since 30 May 1982Admiral General Teodoro Esteban López Calderón of the Spanish NavySweden Chief of Defence of Sweden Member since 7 March 2024General Michael Claesson of the Swedish ArmyTurkey Chief of the General Staff of Turkey Member since 18 February 1952General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu of the Turkish Land Forces
United Kingdom Chief of the Defence Staff of the United Kingdom Member since 24 August 1949Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton of the Royal Air ForceUnited States Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States Member since 24 August 1949General Dan Caine of the United States Air Force

History

Until 2008 the Military Committee excluded France, due to that country's 1966 decision to remove itself from NATO's integrated military structure, which it rejoined in 1995. Until France rejoined NATO, it was not represented on the Defence Planning Committee, and this led to conflicts between it and NATO members. Such was the case in the lead up to Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Established in 1949 during the first Council session in Washington, the Military Committee is NATO's highest military authority and advises the NAC and NATO's strategic commanders, the Supreme Allied Commander Transformation and the Supreme Allied Commander Europe.

See also

External links