Editorial:‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ Reimagining NATO’s Role: A Veteran-Led Inquiry Into Transatlantic Security

Global attention is already turning to next year’s NATO summit in Türkiye. Currently, the NATO Veterans Initiative (NAVI) is introducing its year-long workshop series “Transatlantic Security and Solidarity: NATO’s Evolution, Contemporary Challenges, and Strategic Projections.” The series will provide space for NAVI fellows, interns, and experts to analyze data, challenge assumptions, and evaluate NATO’s evolving role in global security.

So, as we embark on this journey, we are confronted with the paramount question: Is this work vital? Are we just repeating the same old issues, or can we offer insights that will shape NATO’s future?

This writing is an editorial expression and a moment for NAVI and its partners to reflect.

Why This Matters

Unquestionably, NATO has been the milestone of mutual defense and the pledging of democratic principles ever since its inception in 1949. However, in 2025, the Alliance is challenged by the questions of its unity and raison d’être. On one hand, we’re seeing intensified strategic rivalries and internal divisions; on the other, shifts in public opinion, especially among younger generations, are adding pressure. Taken together, these trends pose a serious challenge for NATO, and scholars and policymakers are now debating what the alliance’s future role and military-civil structure should look like.

NAVI is a non-partisan, veteran-led nonprofit organization operated by veterans, thus bringing a perspective that is not only experiential but also intellectually rigorous. We raise the level of debate by challenging the unquestioned and providing not only historically but also accurate information on current affairs.

The Workshop Series: A Structured Inquiry

This undertaking will explore seven core areas:

Historical Evolution – Analyzing and comprehending the transformations of NATO’s strategic identity and its changes over time.
Contemporary Threats – Understanding those challenges caused by Russia’s increasingly adversarial posture, global warming, cyber intrusions and autonomous systems, and hybrid threats.
Transatlantic Relations – Discovering the transatlantic alliance is lively and doable despite the present geopolitical tension.
Alliance Complexities – Tentatively examining how evolving U.S. policies, governance trends, and other dynamics may influence European security and NATO’s shared future. This topic involves sensitive considerations and is therefore proposed for deeper exploration in later phases of the series, ensuring balanced and inclusive dialogue.
Societal Perceptions – Exploring different generations’ views with a special focus on Gen Z in the context of conflict and security, including attitudes toward national defense, defending core values, and democracy in times of crisis.
Economic Dimensions – Discussing defense burden-sharing and the new, more environmentally friendly ways of financing.
Technology & Industry – Exploring the technological advancements in the military sector e.g., artificial intelligence and space capabilities.
Strategic Synthesis – Creating the final paper to be used as a guide for NATO’s strategy soon.

Such‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ events will be the concrete outcomes of these occasions hence detailed reports, infographics, podcasts, and policy briefs, all having as their goal the deepening of the conversation before the 2026 Summit.

A Necessary Self-Critique

We asked ourselves whether this would become just another discussion forum, without producing tangible outcomes. It is theoretically possible that even the most well-intentioned moves could fail because of the lack of a clear framework and deliverables.

Still, the scope of this work is ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌huge. With clear goals and focused work, it can:

– Close very significant gaps in the advocacy of veterans, particularly those that are value-based rather than politically motivated.

– Deliver new, sincere insights into the strategic challenges faced by NATO.

– Create conditions for the meaningful involvement of civil society and youth.

– Strengthen democratic principles at a time of global upheaval.

Looking Ahead

This project is not simply another item on NAVI’s agenda to be checked off; rather, it embodies the challenge of maintaining the relevance of NAVI, NATO, and everyone else who is in favor of peace, freedom, and solidarity.

We hope our community, partners, and stakeholders will not only join the conversation but also lead by producing insights that shape policy and deepen public understanding.

As a team, we have the capacity to make sure that the effect of our collective voice is noticeable and goes beyond the simple presence in the discussion ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌rooms.

Cihan Aydıner - Associate Professor

Cihan Aydiner is an Associate Professor and Program Chair for the BS in Homeland Security and the MS in Security and Intelligence Studies at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University–Worldwide, where he also serves as Associate Chair of the Department of Emergency, Disaster and Global Security Studies. He led the effort that produced the first nationally accredited homeland security degree program in the United States.
He is Founding Executive Editor of The North Atlantic Review and directs the NAVI Research Institute. His research covers NATO burden-sharing and alliance cohesion, the evaluation of AI systems for high-accountability environments, security studies, and forced migration governance.