Overview
- Vice-Admiral Mike Utley said NATO lacks the staying power for a protracted conflict even though it holds a capability edge over Russia.
- He added that member states recognize the shortfall and plan to invest to grow resilience across munitions, industry and civil preparedness.
- NATO’s 2025 maritime strategy identifies Russia and terrorism as primary threats and describes China as posing systemic challenges.
- The alliance launched the Baltic Sentry operation this year to protect critical undersea infrastructure using integrated naval assets and sensors.
- Leaders set targets of at least 3.5% of GDP for core defense plus up to 1.5% for resilience by 2035, as Russian forces continue probing with ship transits near the UK and a Poseidon-capable submarine.