NATO’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

North Atlantic Treaty Organization
www.nato.int/factsheets Factsheet
NATO’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
In responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, NATO continues to deliver credible and effective deterrence and defence. Our ability to
conduct operations has not been undermined, our forces remain ready, and our crucial work goes on.
From the start of the outbreak, NATO has implemented robust measures to limit the spread of the virus and minimise risks to our
personnel and the communities they serve. NATO military medical staff remain vigilant and are monitoring for any impact on NATO
forces deployed on operations.
NATO is also a platform for sharing information and best practice among Allies. As part of NATO’s work to strengthen resilience, we
have been working with Allies for years to enhance preparedness across the whole of government, including in the health sector.
Allies continue to stand together and support each other in this pandemic, through different NATO arrangements, as well as bilaterally.
Allied armed forces across the Alliance are also playing an essential role in supporting national civilian efforts.
NATO and Allied Measures
• Allied armed forces are playing a vital role in supporting national civilian
responses across the Alliance. This support includes logistics and planning,
field hospitals, the transport of patients, disinfection of public areas, and
at border crossings.
• NATO’s Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre
(EADRCC) is an important tool helping to provide relief to Allies and
partners. It is NATO’s principal civil emergency response mechanism in
the Euro-Atlantic area. The Centre operates on a 24/7 basis, coordinating
requests from NATO Allies and partners for help, as well as offers of
assistance to cope with the consequences of major crises such as the
COVID-19 pandemic. For example, in response to requests for assistance
from North Macedonia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, on
8 April Turkey provided all three countries medical supplies, including
protective clothing, masks and test kits. On 9 April, in response to a request
by Spain, Luxembourg donated 1,440 kilos of TYVEK material to make
protective equipment for health personnel. Earlier, in bilateral aid to North Macedonia, Hungary provided 100,000 masks and 5,000
protective suits and Slovenia provided 200,000 masks. The U.S. Government has committed $1.1 million to mitigate the spread
of the COVID-19 outbreak in North Macedonia. North Macedonia received a field hospital donated by Norway, allowing it to
double the capacity at the Infectious Disease Clinic at Skopje’s largest hospital in the combat against Covid-19. Norway also donated
medical supplies to North Macedonia worth 180,000 Euro. In response to Spain and Italy’s requests for assistance made through
the EADRCC, the Czech Republic bilaterally provided both countries with medical supplies, including 10,000 protective medical
suits each. Through the same mechanism, Turkey provided Italy and Spain with medical supplies such as masks, personal protection
equipment and disinfectants.
• The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) has a leading
role in responding to the crisis. The NSPA provides logistics support and
the organisation of transport of key supplies and equipment to Allies,
partners and other international organisations. As of 11 April, the NSPA
has delivered Intensive Care Unit ventilators to Italy, personal protective
equipment to Spain and medical supplies to Norway. Earlier, the NSPA had
helped Luxembourg increase its hospital capacity by providing field hospital
tents, mobilising equipment in less than 24 hours.
• NATO supports the Strategic Airlift International Solution (SALIS)
programme. The programme enables participating Allies to charter
commercial transport aircraft. For example, on 10 April Poland used
SALIS to import 190,000 masks and 180,000 protective suits. Earlier, the
Czech Republic and Slovakia have used SALIS to import planeloads of
medical supplies, including facemasks, surgical gloves and protective suits.
14 April 2020
Military transport aircraft CASA of the Czech Army transporting
1,000,000 masks to North Macedonia.
Turkish military A400M Aircraft being loaded with medical
equipment for the United Kingdom at Ankara airbase, TUR.
Photo by TUR MOD.
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• As part of the Strategic Airlift Capability (SAC), participating Allies and
partner countries jointly own and operate three C-17 Globemaster heavy
cargo aircraft, sharing flying hours and costs. For example, Romania has
used the capability to import protective material with three shipments
during this month, including a shipment of 100,000 suits on 8 April, with
support of the United States.
• Bilateral assistance between Allies and between Allies and partners
continues to be an important part of the international response, showing
the strength of NATO solidarity. For example, a Czech Army aircraft
transported 1,000,000 masks to North Macedonia on 10 April. Earlier
on 3 April two Spanish military aircraft transported 50 ventilators sent
by the German government to Spain. The German air force flew Italian
and French patients for treatment, and doctors from Poland and Albania
travelling to help their Italian colleagues.
• Allied armed forces are also supporting local communities in NATO
areas of operations. For example, on 7 April the US-led KFOR Regional
Command East delivered gloves, face masks and other medical supplies to
the Mayors of Mitrovica North and South in Kosovo.
• The reinforcement of NATO deployments with medical teams allows
allied armed forces to ensure that deployed troops stay healthy, that all
precautionary measures are taken, and that local health care systems are
not burdened. For example, military medics from Croatia, Germany and
the Netherlands arrived in Lithuania on 13 April to reinforce NATO’s
enhanced Forward Presence battlegroup.
• The Movements Coordination Centre Europe (MCCE) provides
logistical support in optimizing the use of airlift, sealift and land movement
assets of armed forces. The Centre supports its 28 member nations from
NATO and the European Union, by providing coordination services,
comparing military movement requests and available transport assets,
both military and chartered. It operates under a Technical Agreement
signed by its member nations and is based in the Netherlands.
• NATO’s Rapid Air Mobility initiative has simplified procedures for
military relief flights, by using a NATO call sign and expediting Air Traffic
Control clearances. The initiative is made possible by close cooperation
between NATO and EUROCONTROL. For example, on 10 April the
Rapid Air Mobility Initiative facilitated the delivery of medical supplies
and protective equipment from Turkey to the United Kingdom.
• Cooperation with partner countries and international organisations
continues to be essential for NATO. We are coordinating with the World
Health Organization, the United Nations, and the European Union. In
particular, NATO and EU staffs are cooperating to counter disinformation
about COVID-19. We also remain in close contact with the ICRC and
the OSCE.
More information: https://www.nato.int/covid19
Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC):
https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_117757.htm
NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA):
https://www.nspa.nato.int/en/index.htm
Rapid Air Mobility - Background
The North Atlantic Council authorized on
2 April 2020 the application of NATO’s
Rapid Air Mobility (RAM) process in order
to facilitate unimpeded military air transport
of medical supplies and resources needed
across Europe. This supports relief flights
carrying cargo and personnel critical to the
fight against the pandemic.
NATO’s Rapid Air Mobility is an established
process designed to speed up military
reinforcement by air. Military aircraft are
assigned a unique NATO Call Sign, enabling
the expeditious handling for air traffic control
and accelerated diplomatic clearances for the
flights.WiththeNATOCallSign,reliefflights
benefit from fast track diplomatic clearance as
well as from the removal of route restrictions
by the European Organization for the Safety
of Air Navigation (EUROCONTROL) along
the route. The NATO Call Sign identifies
to EUROCONTROL which flight plans
require priority handling. In accordance with
the Rapid Air Mobility process, SHAPE is
responsible for coordinating the assignment
of the NATO Call Signs in concert with
EUROCONTROL.
A C-17 Globemaster cargo plane at Bucharest airport with
45 tons of supplies to combat the effects of the pandemic.
Photo by Laurentio Turoi