The Future of NATO
This series—featuring scholars from the Futures Lab, the International Security Program, and across CSIS—explores emerging challenges and opportunities that NATO is likely to confront after its 75th anniversary
On the eve of NATO’s 75th anniversary, a network of scholars from the Futures Lab, the International Security Program, and across CSIS embarked on a mission to visualize and describe the major trends and security challenges likely to confront the alliance. These pieces range from geopolitical concerns along NATO’s flanks to the impact of demographic changes, gray zone tactics, and the potential for collective defense in space. The authors hail from across Europe and beyond, offering diverse, cross-disciplinary perspectives that transcend traditional military balance analyses. Consistent with CSIS’s mission, each piece prioritizes innovative and creative thought to define the future of national security in a non-partisan but policy-oriented framework. Our hope is that everyone—from concerned citizens to elected officials, policymakers, and national security professionals—reads these pieces.
The banner for the series uses AI-generated art to combine the Greek goddess Theia with the NATO symbol. In Greek mythology, Theia was the goddess of sight and vision. Her likeness combined with the NATO symbol, which has endured for 75 years, illustrates the logic of this series. What challenges loom on the horizon for the alliance? How will new trends and long-standing dilemmas converge to create future security challenges? By looking to the future, we hope to strengthen the alliance and prepare it for the years ahead, which are almost certain to test NATO to its core. Foresight and preparation are prudent and represent a shared responsibility across NATO members if the alliance is to uphold peace in Europe and beyond.
Contact Information
- Jose M. Macias III
- Associate Data Fellow, Futures Lab, International Security Program
- JMacias@csis.org
Featured Analysis
NATO and Cyber: Outrunning the Bear
Commentary by Suzanne Spaulding and Mark Montgomery — July 8, 2024
NATO and Countering Hybrid Warfare
Commentary by Daniel Byman — July 12, 2024
The Future of Hybrid Warfare
Commentary by Frank Hoffman, Colonel Matt Neumeyer, and Benjamin Jensen — July 8, 2024
The Future of NATO’s Southern Flank
Commentary by Yasir Atalan — July 10, 2024
In Africa, NATO Is the Past
Commentary by Mvemba Phezo Dizolele
Advancing Women, Peace, and Security through Security Cooperation in NATO
Commentary by Courtney Clarksen, Tyler McAnally, and Kathleen McInnis
The Neglected Domain
Commentary by Mark Montgomery and Benjamin Jensen
Evolving Warfare
Regional Security Challenges
NATO's Homefront and Global Frontiers
All The Future of NATO Content
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Advancing Women, Peace, and Security through Security Cooperation in NATO
Podcast Episode by Courtney Clarksen, Tyler McAnally, and Kathleen McInnis — July 19, 2024
NATO and Instrumentalized Migration
Podcast Episode by Monika Wohlfeld, Benjamin P. Nickels, and Benjamin Jensen — July 18, 2024
Older and Wiser: Defining NATO’s Strategy for Global Aging
Podcast Episode by Eric Palomaa — July 17, 2024
NATO and the Arctic
Podcast Episode by Commander Rachael Gosnell and Benjamin Jensen — July 16, 2024
A New Nordic NATO?
Podcast Episode by Henrik Breitenbauch and Benjamin Jensen — July 16, 2024
The Future of NATO’s Eastern Flank
Podcast Episode by Piotr Niec and Benjamin Jensen — July 16, 2024