NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defence
NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defence (NATO IAMD) is an essential and continuous mission in peacetime, crisis and conflict, safeguarding and protecting Alliance territory, populations and forces against any air or missile threat or attack. This mission is conducted with a 360-degree approach and tailored to address all air and missile threats, emanating from all strategic directions, and coming from both state and non-state actors. To that end, it incorporates all measures – such as 24/7 air policing and ballistic missile defence – to contribute to deterring any air and missile threat, or to nullify or reduce their effectiveness. NATO IAMD is an essential element of NATO’s deterrence and defence posture, contributing to the Alliance’s indivisible security and freedom of action, including NATO’s ability to reinforce its deployments and to provide a strategic response.
Patriot air and missile defence system on display at Allied Air Command (© NATO AIRCOM)
- NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defence provides a highly responsive, robust, time-critical and persistent capability. It is aimed at ensuring a desired level of control of the air, so that the Alliance is able to conduct the full range of its operations and missions in peacetime, crisis and conflict.
- NATO IAMD is particularly crucial in the current strategic environment, which is characterised by a significant proliferation of various types of air and missile capabilities and their excessive use in conflicts, as demonstrated during Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
- In response to Russia’s war against Ukraine, Allies have deployed additional IAMD capabilities to NATO’s eastern flank, demonstrating Allied solidarity and resolve.
- Allies continue to strengthen NATO IAMD by improving its readiness, responsiveness and integration through various initiatives, such as the implementation of the IAMD Rotational Model across the Euro-Atlantic area, with an initial focus on the eastern flank. Allies remain committed to enhancing the effectiveness of IAMD and taking all necessary steps to respond to the security environment
- NATO IAMD is implemented through the NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defence System (NATINAMDS), a network of interconnected national and NATO systems comprised of sensors, command and control assets, and weapons systems.
- NATINAMDS comes under the authority of NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR).
Activities
NATO Air Policing is one of the permanent peacetime missions conducted within the framework of NATO IAMD. NATO Air Policing is a strong demonstration of cohesion and solidarity among Allies, as countries with fighter aircraft capabilities, both individually and in multinational teams, help to ensure the integrity of the airspace of countries that do not possess them. The enhancement of NATO Air Policing along NATO’s eastern flank in response to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine continues to demonstrate Allied solidarity, as well as the importance of this mission for deterrence and reassurance of NATO Allies.
NATO Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) is a permanent mission to defend NATO’s European populations, territory and forces against the increasing threat posed by the proliferation of ballistic missiles. The US European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA) is one of the central pillars of NATO BMD. It includes ground- and sea-based radars and effectors provided by the United States. Other Allies are also providing, developing and acquiring BMD assets, which are integrated into NATO BMD.
The IAMD Rotational Model provides for regular deployments of combat aircraft and surface-based air and missile defence systems, as well as enablers such as sensors, to different NATO Allies. It also provides significant training and exercise opportunities. The Rotational Model is applied across the entirety of SACEUR’s Area of Responsibility. In light of the current security environment, it is initially focused on the Alliance’s eastern flank. Deployments of IAMD assets within this framework are a sign of Allied solidarity and the indivisibility of Allied security.
Integration
Integration is an essential requirement for NATO IAMD, as it provides coordination of all available air and missile defence capabilities. A key prerequisite for integration is interoperability (procedural, technical and human). Training and exercises play a significant role in this regard. They also demonstrate Allied resolve and can have a deterrent effect.
A key example of integration is the NATO Air Command and Control (Air C2) systems, which allow the Alliance to manage NATO air operations in and out of the Euro-Atlantic area. The systems cover a theatre of operations of 81 million square kilometres (not including deployable capability) from the northernmost point of Norway to the Mediterranean Sea, and from the easternmost point of Türkiye to the North Atlantic.
Strengthening IAMD in response to Russia’s war against Ukraine
The unprecedented scale of Russian air and missile attacks throughout its illegal war of aggression against Ukraine underlines the importance of credible and robust air and missile defence.
In response, Allies have deployed additional IAMD capabilities to NATO’s eastern flank. They also continue to conduct training and exercises to test these capabilities and ensure their readiness to respond to any threat.
NATO continues to strengthen its IAMD in line with the Strategic Concept – which sets the baseline for the Alliance’s deterrence and defence posture – and a new generation of defence plans, both agreed by Allied Leaders at the 2022 Madrid Summit.
At the 2023 Vilnius Summit, Allies agreed to further enhance NATO’s IAMD mission, in particular through regular training and the rotational presence of modern air defence systems and capabilities across SACEUR’s Area of Responsibility, with an initial focus on the eastern flank.
At the 2024 Washington Summit, Allies took steps to further improve the readiness, responsiveness and integration of NATO IAMD. They welcomed updates to NATO’s IAMD Policy and the implementation of various initiatives, such as the IAMD Rotational Model and the Enhanced Operational Capability of NATO BMD.
Furthermore, at the Washington Summit, Allies agreed measures to strengthen Ukraine’s air and missile defence. NATO will support and advise on the design and implementation of an integrated air and missile defence architecture for Ukraine, to enable the most efficient use of Ukraine’s air and missile defence capabilities and support its transition to full interoperability with NATO.
Relevant NATO committees
The Integrated Air and Missile Defence Policy Committee (IAMD PC) is the senior committee responsible for all policy and political-military aspects of NATO IAMD, including the air policing and BMD missions, as well as relevant Joint Air Power elements. It reports to the North Atlantic Council, the Alliance’s principal political decision-making body.
The Military Committee Working Group for Air and Missile Defence (MCWG AMD) is responsible for reviewing, advising and making recommendations on military aspects of air and missile defence issues to NATO’s Military Committee, the senior military authority in NATO.
Another committee that reports to the NAC, engaged in the IAMD domain, is the Conference of National Armaments Directors (CNAD), which promotes cooperation between countries in the armaments field and oversees implementation of NATO’s BMD Programme.
Evolution
Historically, NATO IAMD is an evolution of the concept of NATO Integrated Air Defence. The original concept was implemented in 1961 through the use of the NATO Integrated Air Defence System (NATINADS) under the command and control of the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR).
During the Cold War, NATINADS was a largely static system arrayed in belts against a uni-directional and well-defined threat of manned aircraft from the Soviet Union. Since then, NATINADS has evolved into the NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defence System (NATINAMDS), which meets the challenges of today's less predictable environment and is capable of deploying and addressing the full range of air and missile threats from all directions.
The NATO Air Command and Control System (ACCS) programme was formally established in November 1999 to provide the Alliance with a single, integrated air command and control system to manage NATO air operations in and out of the Euro-Atlantic area. Since then, NATO Air C2 systems have continued to evolve, ensuring that the Alliance is able to meet any challenge or threat.
The devastating impact of Russia’s missile attacks during its illegal war of aggression against Ukraine has demonstrated the importance of credible and robust IAMD. In response, Allies have deployed additional IAMD capabilities to NATO’s eastern flank and agreed measures to further strengthen IAMD systems.
NATO and Allies remain committed to continue improving IAMD capabilities – such as surveillance, interceptors, and command and control – in particular through the NATO Defence Planning Process (NDPP). As a result, a number of Allies are acquiring or developing air and missile defence systems. These new assets will further enhance NATO IAMD.