ABSTRACT
NATO, the most successful military alliance, can only succeed if it appreciates and, to the extent possible, responds to the concerns of all its members. Security in Northern Europe points to the renewed relevance of ‘NATO in 3D’: deterrence, defence and dialogue. The means to empower ‘NATO in 3D’ is burden-sharing, with emphasis on three ‘Cs’: cash, capabilities and contributions. The combination of the 3Ds and the 3Cs defines both political commitment and military force. The combination of the 3Ds and 3Cs contributes to ‘out-of-area’ operations of various sorts, be it nation-building, security sector reforms or warfighting. European initiatives such as the Northern Group and the Joint Expeditionary Force, Nordic Defence Cooperation and the Nordic-Baltic collaboration all strengthen both regional defence cooperation and the Alliance as a whole. Despite differing priorities and defence ambitions, the Northern Group countries exhibit a strong sense of solidarity and collective responsibility, as well as readiness to exploit opportunities for closer cooperation in the future.
