NATO Article 5: When to Intervene

In recent days, international tensions have further escalated following the launch of an Iranian missile into the airspace of Turkey, a NATO member, which was then intercepted by the Alliance’s defenses in the Mediterranean.

The incident, which occurred amidst the escalation between Iran on one side and the United States and Israel on the other, has reignited debate over one of the most sensitive instruments of the Western security system: Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which governs collective defense among member states.

The question is simple but crucial: What happens if a NATO member state is attacked? And above all, could an episode like the one that occurred in the skies over Turkey really lead to the activation of the common defense?

This mechanism is now attracting international observers’ attention, because Article 5 represents the cornerstone of the Atlantic Alliance and establishes that an armed attack against one member state must be considered an attack against all. However, as we will see, its application is not automatic and leaves States with varying degrees of leeway in how they can contribute to the defense of the affected ally.

What is Article 5 of NATO and why is it important

Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty is the true beating heart of NATO, establishing the collective defense that allows the Alliance to rely on a truly effective deterrence, but also to be able to respond vigorously for defensive purposes.

For a better understanding, here is the full text of the article:

The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all, and consequently they agree that if such an attack occurs, each of them, in the exercise of the right of self-defense, individual or collective, recognized in Article 5, shall have the right to exercise its right of self-defense, individual or collective, recognized in Article 5. 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, shall assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking immediately, individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain security in the North Atlantic area. Any such armed attack and all measures taken as a result shall be immediately reported to the Security Council. These measures shall cease when the Security Council has taken the measures necessary to restore and maintain international peace and security.

In short, an armed attack on a NATO member legitimizes the action of all other States. Primarily, mutual defense allows us to deter aggression, but in times of need, it also allows us to respond effectively, in a way that individual States would not be able to do individually.

When Article 5 Mutual Defense Is Triggered

Article 5 of NATO clarifies that mutual defense can only be triggered when a member state is subjected to a military attack. For the sake of completeness, it is important to note that the following article of the North Atlantic Treaty includes in the hypothesis of military attack both attacks on the territory and attacks on the forces, aircraft, or vessels of the parties. In particular, are protected:

• the territories of the parties in Europe and North America;
• the territory of Turkey;
• the islands under the jurisdiction of one of the parties in the North Atlantic north of the Tropic of Cancer;
• forces, vessels, and aircraft of the parties located in the aforementioned territories;
• forces, vessels, and aircraft of the parties in any area of Europe where they are stationed as occupying forces;
• forces, vessels, and aircraft of the parties in or over the Mediterranean Sea or the North Atlantic area north of the Tropic of Cancer.

These military attacks justify NATO’s collective action, which, however, is not obligated to engage in war. Indeed, the Treaty itself clarifies that international disputes should preferably be resolved by peaceful means, encouraging diplomacy. Furthermore, member states cannot exploit the Alliance to resort to the threat or use of force. In any case, these limits can be exceeded and justify a united military response under the conditions set forth in Article 5. Military action, however, can be undertaken only by decision of the Security Council, aimed at restoring peace and security.

NATO member states are therefore required to provide mutual aid but are not obligated to use armed force.

Generally, other means are preferred to support the state that has suffered an attack, relegating actual war to the last resort. To date, the collective defense of Article 5 has been invoked only during the terrorist attacks against the United States in 2001. On that occasion, NATO launched Operation Eagle Assist and Operation Active Endeavour.

These were, respectively, air and naval defense operations in which several NATO members participated. Much more frequently, however, the Alliance has applied Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which provides for consultation and the adoption of a common strategy in the event of a threat to the security, territorial integrity, or political independence of one of the parties. The latter are, however, always required to cooperate and assist each other, a set of objectives essential to deterrence.

Original article published on Money.it Italy. Original title: Articolo 5 Nato, ecco quando bisogna intervenire (e cosa succede all’Italia)