This article is part of a series featuring Atlantic Council experts’ analysis and recommendations on the key challenges facing allies at the upcoming NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey, and beyond.
HELSINKI—Emerging technologies have become critical for strengthening defense and deterrence capabilities. Today, the pace of technological development is so rapid that it is exceeding traditional procurement and integration processes. In response, NATO has begun to place greater emphasis on faster testing, procurement, and operational integration mechanisms to sustain its technological and operational advantage.
In June 2025, NATO allies approved the Rapid Adoption Action Plan (RAAP), which aims to accelerate the adoption of emerging technologies across the Alliance. The plan emphasizes the need for faster acquisition procedures, increased willingness to accept early-stage development risks, and stronger communication of Alliance-wide capability requirements. To accelerate adoption of new technology, the plan calls for the testing, evaluation, verification, and validation cycle to assess whether new innovations are functional, reliable, interoperable, secure, and suitable for operational military use. This cycle is intended to be completed within one year of identifying potential solutions. Beyond testing and validation, common standards and aligned procurement frameworks are essential to ensuring that validated prototypes can be integrated and scaled within the Alliance.
