Military Adaptation versus Learning in a Multinational Alliance

The paper will examine the issue of learning in a multinational alliance, where learning is defined as the political-military process of extracting main findings from experience and then implementing and directing political-organizational change. Adaptation is in contrast more happenstance and suited to an environment of multiple political and military priorities. The paper will in particular examine whether increased threats make learning more likely, and whether shifting threats mean that learning processes will be connected or run disjointly. This will be done with reference to NATO’s Afghan campaign and NATO’s deterrence posture vis-à-vis Russia. The paper will draw out lessons from NATO’s experience and help advance the study of multinational military change.