Arlington, VA, Sept. 16, 1998 -- The air chiefs of the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland outlined the progress their countries have made to date in their march toward full NATO membership.

In a panel discussion that took place during an Air Force Association International Airpower Symposium, General Lieutenant Ladislav Klima, commander of the Air Forces of the Czech Republic, Lieutenant General Attila Kositzky, chief of staff of the Hungarian Air Force, and Major General Kazimierz Dziok, commander of the Air and Air Defense Forces of Poland, described the gradual process of integrating their forces within NATO, including organizational challenges and the need for equipment modernization. All three countries were invited into NATO last December, but full ratification of their membership by all current NATO countries is not expected to be complete before the spring of 1999.

Gen. John P. Jumper, commander of US Air Forces in Europe, said that the challenges of full integration revolve around geography, interoperability, and unspecified threats. In terms of geography, for example, Hungary's borders are not all contiguous with other NATO members. In terms of interoperability, all three countries must restructure the organization of their air forces and overcome technical incompatibilities between their military equipment, which is mostly comprised of Soviet-era systems, and Western equipment. And finally, NATO today faces "unspecified threats," Jumper said. Future threats are more likely to be threats to NATO's interests rather than threats to its borders.

Each of the air chiefs emphasized that equipment modernization was a must. All three also agreed that a multi-role aircraft would be best suited to their needs. Klima of the Czech Republic was specific in saying his country was looking at both the F-16 and F/A-18 multi-role fighters. In each case, however, resources are stretched thin, and no specific modernization plans have been made.

Earlier, in a keynote address, Sen. Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.) made the connection between economics and security in the region. He noted that the spread of democracy and open markets would lead to prosperity and improved security. Referring to NATO expansion, he said, "We have made in my judgment a very, very strong advance to incorporate great countries into the democratic framework and into our defense posture."

But Lugar also warned that 1998 "has not been a happy year for the progression of democracy and free markets." He cited the tests to democracy in Russia, the issue of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and North Korea, the Asian economic crisis, and the nuclear explosions in India and Pakistan.

Gen. Joseph Ralston, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also addressed the symposium, expressing the strong support of the JCS for NATO enlargement. Ralston pointed out that integration into NATO was based on a number of conditions, including having a functioning democracy, free markets, civilian control of the military, and interoperability. In the area of interoperability, he added that it was more than just equipment modernization. Procedures, doctrine, and tactics must also be revamped.

Robert Bell, who accompanied President Clinton to Russia for the recent summit, said the turmoil in Russia would only threaten the European security environment if Russian leaders failed to maintain political stability in the country.

Bell, who serves as special assistant to the president for national security affairs, also provided details on a series of strategic agreements that covered cooperation between the United States and Russia on early warning of missile launches, disposal of plutonium, efforts to push for START II Treaty ratification in the Russian Duma, and space control.

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