Defense alliance is a type of political-military coalition formed by two or more countries to provide mutual aid and support in the event that any member is attacked. This type of agreement is often a precursor to achieving full military cooperation, which would involve the sharing of military resources and information.
In the Westphalian states system, alliances have traditionally been seen as a means of preserving stability and security through a balance of power. They have also been important for developing the international economy and addressing regional imbalances in development. For example, the renowned Indian strategist Kautilya (c. 321–c. 297 bce) advocated for a policy of alliances in his Artha-shastra (“The Science of Material Gain”).
NATO’s essential and enduring purpose is collective defence, as set out in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. At the 2022 Summit in Madrid, Allies adopted a new strategic concept, enhancing NATO’s readiness to deter and defend against threats and challenges in a complex multi-domain environment. The Allied commitment to spend 2% of GDP on defence by 2025 builds on the Defence Investment Pledge, agreed at the 2014 NATO Summit in Wales.
South Florida has a long and storied history of supporting the national defense through its many DoD assets and commands, including USSOUTHCOM, NAS Key West, MARFORSOUTH, Homestead Air Reserve Base and more. The goal of this alliance is to bring a consistent voice for these many assets and commands across the state, ensuring that their importance is not overlooked by policymakers. It also aims to unite, champion and grow the local defense community.