Capability Challenges of NATO Multi-Domain Operations - Implications for the NATO Defence Planning Process
Volume 2026, Issue 1 (2026), pp. 1247–1256
Pub. online: 14 July 2026
Type: Article
Open Access
Published
14 July 2026
14 July 2026
Abstract
Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) have become central to NATO’s approach to future warfare, requiring the integration of military effects across Land, Sea, Air, Cyberspace, and Space. This article analyses whether the NATO Defence Planning Process (NDPP) adequately reflects the capability requirements generated by the MDO concept. Drawing on unclassified NATO documents and open sources, the study identifies structural misalignment between domain‑centric capability planning and the integrative, data‑centric demands of MDO, and outlines implications for the adaptation of NATO defence planning.