As a result, NATO must now be ready to deploy forces beyond Alliance borders to respond to crises, in addition to being able to defend against deliberate aggression. Moreover, as in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, where NATO forces are currently deployed, future Alliance military operations are likely to be markedly different from the kind of operation for which planning was undertaken during the Cold war. They will probably take place outside Alliance territory; they may last for many years; and they will involve troops of many nations working closely together - principally from member states but also, in some instances, from partner countries. Moreover, crisis management tasks demand different skills from those required for fighting wars.
Meeting the Challenges
To meet these new security challenges, NATO has to ensure that its forces have the equipment, personnel and training needed to successfully carry out all their tasks. Lessons learned in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, as well as the experience of other multinational operations involving NATO countries, have demonstrated where changes are needed. The Defence Capabilities Initiative was launched to ensure that NATO is ready for every eventuality. A High Level Steering Group was formed to oversee the programme. The Group, which is made up of senior officials from national capitals and chaired by the Deputy Secretary General of NATO, meets every few weeks to review progress and guide the process. DCI will also contribute to the development of the European Security and Defence Identity, or ESDI, by strengthening European defence capabilities and the European pillar of NATO. This will enable the European allies to make a stronger and more coherent contribution to NATO.
DCI Targets
DCI aims in particular to improve Alliance capabilities in the following five, overlapping areas:

- “mobility and deployability”: i.e. the ability to deploy forces quickly to where they are needed, including areas outside Alliance territory;

- “sustainability”; i.e. the ability to maintain and supply forces far from their home bases and to ensure that sufficient fresh forces are available for long-duration operations;

- “effective engagement”; i.e. the ability to successfully engage an adversary in all types of operations, from high to low intensity;

- “survivability”: i.e. the ability to protect forces and infrastructure against current and future threats;

- and “interoperable communications”: i.e. command, control and information systems which are compatible with each other, to enable forces from different countries to work effectively together.