Akshay DidwaniyaThe head of NATO’s Military Committee told world leaders at a top security forum that modern alliances and societies must stop merely surviving crises they must grow stronger because of them.
NATO’s Top Military Voice Speaks in Singapore
Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone the chairman of NATO’s Military Committee made a bold call at the Shangri-La Dialogue forum in Singapore on Sunday. He urged that partnerships, defence systems, and entire societies must move well beyond resilience. Being able to “take a hit and recover” is no longer enough, he said the goal now must be something far more ambitious.
“Our ambition must be anti-fragility,” Dragone declared at the high-profile forum.
What Does “Anti-Fragility” Actually Mean?
The Admiral did not leave the concept hanging in the air. He explained that anti-fragility is about partnerships, defences, and societies that actually grow stronger from every lesson learned. Over time, he said, such systems would not even feel the blows that once threatened to break them.
It is a shift in thinking from surviving disruption to being shaped and hardened by it.
Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific Security Are One and the Same
Dragone went further, drawing a direct line between two regions often discussed separately. He stressed that the security of the Euro-Atlantic region and the Indo-Pacific region are deeply connected and cannot be separated from each other.
“The partnerships we are building and strengthening with you are the foundation of the stability that our citizens will depend on tomorrow,” he said.
An Ancient Lesson for a Modern World
The Admiral closed with a timeless warning, rooted in old wisdom. He cited the well-known proverb “If you want peace, prepare for war” and suggested the moment may have finally come to learn that lesson together.
It was a pointed message, delivered to an audience of defence ministers, military chiefs, and senior officials gathered from across the globe at one of Asia’s most watched security summits.
Pratik Agrawal
Aditya Didwaniya
