According to the UK Independence Party website UKIP will try to achieve the following if they gain power at the 2010 general election:

The NATO Alliance which has served us so well must remain a cornerstone of UK Defence Policy. It is the only way in which a major threat to the UK can be countered. It should be remembered that Clause 4 of the NATO treaty still obliges all members to come to the aid of any member who is attacked.

UKIP is deeply concerned at NATO moves to become a part of the EU defence project, as described in de Hoop Scheffer’s speech on 15th March 2008 concerning the ‘Atlantic Charter’ due to be in place for NATO’s 60th Anniversary in 2009. NATO must not be Europeanised, its success has been in its transatlantic bonds and with the central role and contribution of the USA and Canada. UKIP will strongly resist NATO Europeanisation.

In addition, NATO has recently begun to intervene in areas outside its membership and its original remit. Since NATO has well tested military command, control, and interoperability procedures well in advance of any other conceivable group of countries, this can be advantageous. However we will only be involved in such operations when it is in our own national interest and when there are specific objectives to be attained.

UKIP will maintain our historic and important defence relationship with our American allies. Our military links with the US are vital to our defence effectiveness. We have the only forces sufficiently hi-tech to operate alongside them; so it is in the US interest to maintain our defence effort with R & D and technology we could not possibly develop. Thus our forces, although small, stay world class.

It is foreseeable that in pursuit of our common objectives of global stability and democracy that we shall often be operating with US forces. This is to be welcomed – but it is UKIP policy that we must still consider such operations case by case and against the criteria of our own national interest.

From time to time the UK has committed forces to United Nations peacekeeping or intervention forces. As a member of the Security Council and the leading second rank military power this is likely to continue – but the UK is no longer policeman to the world.

UKIP policy is that we should be involved only when it is an area of our own historic or economic interest, when we can make a real difference, and when there are defined and achievable objectives.

I would be interested to hear both positive and negative views on UK Independence Party’s NATO Alliance policies in the comments below?