NATO Military Committee

Template:Short description Template:Template otherTemplate:Short description The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)'s Military Committee (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

File:NATO's Chairman of the Military Committee General Knud Bartels makes opening statements 140521-D-HU462-160.jpg

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

Member	CHOD	Member	CHOD	Member	CHOD
Template:Flagicon Chief of the General Staff of Albania Member since Template:Dts	File:Arben Kingji (2024) (cropped).jpg Major General Template:Ill of the Albanian Land Force	Template:Flagicon Chief of Defence of Belgium Member since Template:Dts	File:F16 Quick Reaction Force Benelux (cropped).jpg General Frederik Vansina of the Belgian Air Component	Template:Flagicon Chief of Defence of Bulgaria Member since Template:Dts	File:Admiral Emil Eftimov, Bulgaria Chief of the Defense, at the Pentagon on January 11, 2024 (cropped).jpg Admiral Template:Ill of the Template:Navy/core
Template:Flagicon Chief of the Defence Staff of Canada Member since Template:Dts	File:General Jennie Carignan in 2024 (cropped).jpg General Jennie Carignan of the Canadian Army	Template:Flagicon Chief of the General Staff of Croatia Member since Template:Dts	File:The NATO Chief of Defence of Croatia Lieutenant General Tihomir Kundid at the 191st Military Committee in Chiefs of Defence Session (cropped).jpg Colonel general Tihomir Kundid of the Croatian Army	Template:Flagicon Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Republic Member since Template:Dts	File:Lieutenant General Karel Řehka, Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces, at the Pentagon on February 27, 2024 (cropped).jpg Lieutenant General Karel Řehka of the Czech Special Forces
Template:Flagicon Chief of Defence of Denmark Member since Template:Dts	File:Michael Hyldgaard (DVIDS 8646868) (cropped).jpg General Template:Ill of the Royal Danish Army	Template:Flagicon Commander of the Defence Forces of Estonia Member since Template:Dts	File:Andrus Merilo 2024 (cropped).jpg Major General Andrus Merilo of the Estonian Land Forces	Template:Flagicon Chief of Defence of Finland Member since Template:Dts	File:General Janne Jaakkola, Finland Chief of Defense, 2025 (cropped).jpg General Janne Jaakkola of the Finnish Army
Template:Flagicon Chief of the Defence Staff of France Member since Template:DtsTemplate:Efn	File:General Thierry Burkhard, French Chief of the Defence Staff, at the École Militaire in Paris, France participates in a Military Honors Ceremony on June 5, 2024 (cropped).jpg General Thierry Burkhard of the French Army	Template:Flagicon Inspector General of the Bundeswehr of Germany Member since Template:DtsTemplate:Efn	File:Carsten Breuer 2025 (cropped).jpg General Carsten Breuer of the German Army	Template:Flagicon Chief of the General Staff of Greece Member since Template:Dts	File:Hellenic National Defence General Staff Seal.svg General Template:Ill of the Hellenic Army
Template:Flagicon Chief of the General Staff of Hungary Member since Template:Dts	File:Gábor Böröndi (cropped).jpg Colonel General Gábor Böröndi of the Hungarian Ground Forces	Template:Flagicon Director of the Security and Defence Department of Iceland Member since Template:Dts	File:Jónas G. Allansson, Director General, Directorate for Defence Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Iceland in October 2024 (cropped).jpg Jónas G. Allansson	Template:Flagicon Chief of the Defence Staff of Italy Member since Template:Dts	File:Generale CA Luciano Portolano mr.jpg General Luciano Portolano of the Italian Army
Template:Flagicon Commander of the Armed Forces of Latvia Member since Template:Dts	File:Kaspars Pudāns 2024 (cropped).jpg Major General Kaspars Pudāns of the Latvian National Guard	Template:Flagicon Chief of Defence of Lithuania Member since Template:Dts	File:Gen. Raimundas Vaikšnoras official portrait (2024).jpg General Raimundas Vaikšnoras of the Lithuanian Land Force	Template:Flagicon Chief of Defence of Luxembourg Member since Template:Dts	File:Journée de la commémoration nationale 2021 (131) Steve Thull (cropped).jpg General Steve Thull of the Luxembourg Army
Template:Flagicon Chief of the General Staff of Montenegro Member since Template:Dts	File:Army Brigadier General Zoran Lazarević of Montenegro in 2023 (cropped).jpg Brigadier General Template:Ill of the Montenegrin Ground Army	Template:Flagicon Chief of Defence of the Netherlands Member since Template:Dts	File:Portretfoto Onno Eichelsheim (cropped).jpg General Onno Eichelsheim of the Royal Netherlands Air Force	Template:Flagicon Chief of the General Staff of North Macedonia Member since Template:Dts	File:Генерал-мајор Сашко Лафчиски (cropped).jpg Major General Saško Lafčiski of the North Macedonian Special Forces
Template:Flagicon Chief of Defence of Norway Member since Template:Dts	File:General Eirik Kristoffersen, Chief of Defense of the Armed Forces of Norway, at the Pentagon on 8 April 2024 (cropped).jpg General Eirik Kristoffersen of the Norwegian Army	Template:Flagicon Chief of the General Staff of Poland Member since Template:Dts	File:Lieutenant General Wiesław Kukuła (Wieslaw Kukula), Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces at the Pentagon, USA on November 2, 2023 (cropped).jpg General Wiesław Kukuła of the Polish Territorial Defence Forces	Template:Flagicon Chief of the General Staff of Portugal Member since Template:Dts	File:General José Nunes da Fonseca (Agência Lusa).png General Template:Ill of the Portuguese Army
Template:Flagicon Chief of the General Staff of Romania Member since Template:Dts	File:Gheorghiță Vlad (Gheorghita Vlad) (2024) (cropped).jpg General Template:Ill of the Romanian Land Forces	Template:Flagicon Chief of the General Staff of Slovakia Member since Template:Dts	File:Generálmajor Daniel Zmeko.jpg Lieutenant General Daniel Zmeko of the Slovak Ground Forces	Template:Flagicon Chief of the General Staff of Slovenia Member since Template:Dts	File:Sign of Slovenian Army.svg Brigadier Template:Ill of the Slovenian Ground Force
Template:Flagicon Chief of the Defence Staff of Spain Member since Template:Dts	File:(Teodoro Esteban López Calderón) 180616-N-MZ309-213 (cropped).jpg Admiral General Teodoro Esteban López Calderón of the Spanish Navy	Template:Flagicon Supreme Commander of Sweden Member since Template:Dts	File:Michael-claesson.jpg General Michael Claesson of the Swedish Army	Template:Flagicon Chief of the General Staff of Turkey Member since Template:Dts	File:Metin Gürak in 2025 (cropped).jpg General Metin Gürak of the Turkish Land Forces
Template:Flagicon Chief of the Defence Staff of the United Kingdom Member since Template:Dts	File:191120-N-BD231-113 (49106133536) (Tony Radakin cropped 3-4).jpg Admiral Tony Radakin of the Template:Navy/core	Template:Flagicon Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States Member since Template:Dts	File:General John D. Caine.jpg General 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.

• Arms of historical NATO commands
• Allied Command Atlantic
  Allied Command Atlantic
• Allied Command Channel
  Allied Command Channel
• Allied Command Europe (Supreme Headquarters)
  Allied Command Europe (Supreme Headquarters)

See also

• Structure of NATO
• International Military Staff
• Chairman of the NATO Military Committee
• European Union Military Committee

External links

• Template:Official