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tanker capability similar to the C-17 HAW. Participating
nations would contribute dollars and personnel to
a common air-refueling capability and then get access
based on their prorated contribution.
The Consensus Mechanism.
All NATO decisions are made by consensus after
discussion and consultation that give alliance members
the opportunity to exchange views and information.
Certainly, this process can produce well-thoughtout
actions with thorough discussions of possible
unintended second- or third-order consequences. But
decisiveness is not its hallmark, and the challenge is
reaction time.
Articles 4 and 5 of the NATO charter provide key
principles for how the alliance consults and takes
action. Article 4 effectively says that any nation can
bring security issues and concerns to the North Atlantic
Council for discussion and can seek NATO help
in bolstering defense. Nations have invoked Article 4
only four times in NATO history; most recently, Poland
invoked it after Russia invaded Crimea. The three
previous times, Turkey invoked Article 4: in 2003 at
the start of the Iraq War, in June 2012 after Syria shot
down a Turkish military jet, and in October 2012 after
Syrian attacks in Turkey. 32
Article 5 is the basis of a fundamental principle of
NATO: collective defense. The article provides that if
a NATO ally is the victim of an armed attack, every
other member of the alliance will consider this act of
violence an armed attack against all members and
will take the actions it deems necessary to assist the
ally that is attacked. NATO has only invoked Article
5 once, following the September 11, 2001, terrorist
attacks. 33
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