Vice Admiral Mike Atlee, commander of NATO’s Allied Maritime Command, said in a recent interview that the alliance’s armed forces currently lack the resilience and sustainability to wage a protracted conflict. This admission reinforces experts’ and politicians’ concerns about Europe’s readiness for a long-term confrontation with Russia against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Ukraine.
According to Atli, NATO has superior capabilities over Russia, but this may not be enough to sustain intense combat operations over a long period. “The situation has become much more complex due to the interdependence of the world,” the admiral noted. “The West needs to prepare for a more complex battlefield environment, including cyber threats, military operations, and other hybrid challenges.” He emphasized that modern warfare requires not only technological superiority, but also the ability to sustain supply, replenish stocks, and adapt to protracted conflicts.
Atli’s statement came amid growing discussions about NATO’s ammunition shortages and industrial capacity. The war in Ukraine has revealed the alliance’s critical dependence on limited stocks of artillery shells, missiles, and other munitions. Russia, on the other hand, has demonstrated its ability to rapidly ramp up production, receiving support from partners such as China, Iran, and North Korea. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte previously warned that Russian ammunition production is three times greater than the entire alliance’s capacity.
Experts note that after the end of the Cold War, NATO countries significantly reduced their military stockpiles, focusing on short operations with an emphasis on air power and precision strikes. However, the current conflict in Ukraine has shown a return to war of attrition, where the volume of artillery and the stability of logistics play a key role. NATO is taking steps to remedy the situation: in recent years, contracts worth billions of dollars have been signed to purchase hundreds of thousands of shells, and member countries are increasing their defense budgets (in 2024–2025, two-thirds of the allies reached or exceeded the target of 2% of GDP for defense).
Nevertheless, Atli emphasizes the need for more radical changes: strengthening training for multi-domain operations (including cyber and space), increasing infrastructure resilience, and joint investments in the defense industry. “We must be prepared for sustained fighting,” he concluded.
This statement by the British vice admiral echoes similar warnings from other NATO commanders. It emphasizes that despite its technological superiority, the alliance risks losing a war of attrition without urgent reforms. In the context of a possible escalation with Russia, such admissions serve as a signal to accelerate rearmament and strengthen unity within the bloc.