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Major non-NATO ally
United States in green Major non-NATO ally in orange
United States in green
Major non-NATO ally in orange
Type Non-NATO Military alliances with the United States.
Members
Establishment 1989

Major non-NATO ally (MNNA) is a designation given by the United States government to close allies that have strategic working relationships with the US Armed Forces but are not members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). While the status does not automatically include a mutual defense pact with the United States, it still confers a variety of military and financial advantages that otherwise are not obtainable by non-NATO countries.

History[]

Prayut Chan-O-Cha, commander in chief of the Royal Thai Army 06-06-2013 130606-A-WP504-121

Prayut Chan-o-cha, commander in chief of the Royal Thai Army, in Arlington, Virginia, June 6, 2013

MNNA status was first created in 1989 when section 2350a, otherwise known as the Sam Nunn Amendment, was added to Title 10 (Armed Forces) of the United States Code by Congress. It stipulated that cooperative research and development agreements could be enacted with non-NATO allies by the Secretary of Defense with the concurrence of the Secretary of State. The initial MNNAs were Australia, Egypt, Israel, Japan, and South Korea. In 1996, major non-NATO allies received additional military and financial benefits when section 2321k was added to Title 22 (Foreign Relations) of the U.S. Code (also known as section 517 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961), which added MNNAs to many of the same exemptions from the Arms Export Control Act that were enjoyed by NATO members. It also authorized the President to designate a nation as an MNNA thirty days after notifying Congress. When enacted, the statute designated the initial five countries as major non-NATO allies, and added Jordan and New Zealand to the list.

New Zealand[]

U.S.-New Zealand strategic and military cooperation suffered a setback after the breakdown of the ANZUS alliance in 1984 over nuclear ship entry. The designation of New Zealand as an MNNA reflected the warming of relations between the two. In June 2012 New Zealand signed a partnership arrangement with NATO further strengthening and consolidating relations.

Latin America[]

Argentina[]

In 1998, President Bill Clinton named Argentina as an ally for the "Argentine compromise and contribution to international peace and security" materialized in its participation in the Gulf War (being the only Latin American country to do so), and for its continuing support of United Nations peacekeeping misions.

Brazil[]

In 2019, Donald Trump designated Argentina's neighboring country Brazil as a major non-NATO ally after receiving a working visit from Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. A bill to make Ukraine a major non-NATO ally was introduced into the US House of Representatives in May 2019.

Colombia[]

In March 2022, Joe Biden designated Colombia as a major non-NATO ally. Biden said: "I've said for a long time Colombia is a keystone to our shared efforts to build a hemisphere as prosperous, secure and democratic ... Today I'm proud to announce that I intend to designate Colombia a major non-NATO ally ... that's exactly what you are".

US Navy 050816-N-9563N-006 New chief petty officer (CPO) selectees perform morning colors on board Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain

NSA Bahrain base is home to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and U.S. Fifth Fleet

SD meets with Egypt's President 170405-D-SV709-190 (33705561992)

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis meets with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi during a meeting held at the Pentagon, April 5, 2017.

Pakistan[]

The designation of certain countries as major non-NATO allies has not been without controversy. In 2017, U.S. Representatives Ted Poe (R-TX) and Rick Nolan (D-MN) introduced H.R. 3000, a bill to revoke Pakistan's position as an MNNA, citing inadequate counterterrorism efforts, the harboring of Osama bin Laden and Pakistani support for the Taliban. The bill never received a vote. In 2021, U.S. Representative Andy Biggs introduced H.R. 35, another version of the legislation.

In 2017, General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, accused Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of having ties to terror groups. Reuters reported that "possible Trump administration responses being discussed include expanding U.S. drone strikes and perhaps eventually downgrading Pakistan’s status as a major non-NATO ally."

Asia[]

Taiwan[]

When Congress enacted on September 30, 2002, the Foreign Relations Authorization Act for FY 2003, it required that Taiwan be "treated as though it were designated a major non-NATO ally." Despite some initial misgivings about Congress's perceived intrusion into the President's foreign affairs authority, the Bush administration subsequently submitted a letter to Congress on August 29, 2003, designating Taiwan as a major non-NATO ally.

ASEAN Members[]

Around the same time, invitations were sent to the ASEAN members Thailand, Brunei Darussalam, and the Philippines both of whom accepted.

Singapore[]

The ASEAN member Singapore was offered a similar arrangement to be a major non-NATO ally during the Bush administration, but had turned the offer down. It espouses neutrality as a principle of its foreign policy. Nevertheless, both Singapore and the United States have a close military partnership, such as the joint use of the Changi Naval Base and Paya Lebar Air Base in Singapore, as well as the Luke Air Force Base in Arizona and Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. Singapore also has a permanent fighter training detachment in Guam, an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States.

In 2020, Singapore announced its intention to purchase 12 Lockheed Martin's F-35 (F-35SG) fighter jets, a deal worth $2.75 billion, and was approved by the U.S. State Department. Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs, R. Clarke Cooper, mentioned that such a deal was part of the "vital and longstanding relationship shared between Singapore and the United States".

Potential MNNAs[]

Ukraine and other former Soviet Republics[]

In 2014, following the 2014 Crimean Crisis, a bill was introduced to the United States Congress to grant major non-NATO ally status to Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine. In May 2015, US President Barack Obama declared his intention to make Tunisia a non-NATO ally while hosting his Tunisian counterpart Beji Caid Essebsi at the White House.

Saudi Arabia and others[]

During a 2015 Camp David summit with the Gulf Cooperation Council states, the Obama administration considered designating Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Qatar as MNNAs. On January 31, 2022, President Joe Biden announced that Qatar would be made a major non-NATO ally, citing its assistance during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. Qatar has been given a Major Non- NATO ally status.

India[]

In June 2019 US lawmakers provided for enhancements to India's status, though this fell short of making them a MNNA.

Benefits[]

Nations named as major non-NATO allies are eligible for the following benefits:[1]

  • entry into cooperative research and development projects with the Department of Defense (DoD) on a shared-cost basis
  • participation in certain counter-terrorism initiatives
  • purchase of depleted uranium anti-tank rounds
  • priority delivery of military surplus (ranging from rations to ships)
  • possession of War Reserve Stocks of DoD-owned equipment that are kept outside of American military bases
  • loans of equipment and materials for cooperative research and development projects and evaluations
  • permission to use American financing for the purchase or lease of certain defense equipment
  • reciprocal training
  • expedited export processing of space technology
  • permission for the country's corporations to bid on certain DoD contracts for the repair and maintenance of military equipment outside the United States

Major Strategic Partner[]

In December 2014 the US Congress passed the US—Israel Major Strategic Partner Act.[2] This new category is one notch above the Major Non-NATO Ally classification and adds additional support for defense, energy, and strengthen cooperation business and academics.[3] The bill additionally calls for the US to increase their war reserve stock in Israel to US$1.8 billion.[4]

List of MNNAs[]

The following countries have been designated as major non-NATO allies of the United States (in order of their appointment):[5][6]

Named by George H. W. Bush[]

ObservationPostOuellette

South Korean soldiers and a U.S. Army officer monitor the Korean Demilitarized Zone in 2008.

File:TG Taji Health Co and TF Liberty MEDEVAC Training.jpg

Australian Defence Force, New Zealand Defence Force and US Army personnel conduct medevac training exercises at Camp Taji, Iraq, in 2018.

  • Flag of Australia Australia (1989)[7]
  • Flag of Egypt Egypt (1989)[7]
  • Flag of Israel Israel (1989)[7]
  • Flag of Japan Japan (1989)[7]
  • Flag of South Korea South Korea (1989)[7]

Named by Bill Clinton[]

  • Flag of Jordan Jordan (1996)[8]
  • Flag of New Zealand New Zealand (1997)[9]
  • Flag of Argentina Argentina (1998)[10]

Named by George W. Bush[]

  • Flag of Bahrain Bahrain (2002)[11]
  • Flag of the Philippines Philippines (2003)[12]
  • Flag of the Republic of China Taiwan (de facto) (2003)[13]
  • Flag of Thailand Thailand (2003)[14]
  • Flag of Kuwait Kuwait (2004)[15]
  • Flag of Morocco Morocco (2004)[16]
  • Flag of Pakistan Pakistan (2004)[17]

Named by Barack Obama[]

Named by Donald Trump[]

Named by Joe Biden[]

  • Flag of Qatar Qatar (2022)
  • Flag of Colombia Colombia (2022)
  • Flag of Brunei Brunei Darussalam (2022)

Other proposed MNNAs[]

Other states have been proposed as future major non-NATO allies. Following the 2014 annexation of Crimea by Russia, members of Congress proposed designating Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia as major non-NATO allies.[23] During a 2015 Camp David summit with the Gulf Cooperation Council states, the Obama administration considered designating Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Qatar as MNNAs.[24]

References[]

  1. "Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA)". September 15, 2012. https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/dod/mnna.htm. 
  2. "Congress enshrines Israel in a new class of ally". The Jerusalem Post - JPost.com. http://www.jpost.com/International/US-House-of-Representatives-passes-bill-declaring-Israel-major-strategic-partner-383616. Retrieved 20 May 2016. 
  3. "US Congress passes Israel strategic partnership bill". The Times of Israel. http://www.timesofisrael.com/us-congress-passes-israel-strategic-partnership-bill/. Retrieved 20 May 2016. 
  4. "US Congress passes Israel strategic partnership bill". https://news.yahoo.com/us-congress-passes-israel-strategic-partnership-bill-012501963.html. Retrieved 20 May 2016. 
  5. "Code of Federal Regulations - Title 22 - Foreign Relations - § 120.32Major non-NATO ally.". United States Government Publishing Office. https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2016-title22-vol1/xml/CFR-2016-title22-vol1-sec120-32.xml. Retrieved 2017-02-04. 
  6. "22 USC 2321k: Designation of major non-NATO allies". United States Government Publishing Office. http://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:22%20section:2321k%20edition:prelim). Retrieved 2017-02-04. 
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 "U.S. declares Afghanistan major non-NATO ally to ensure the nation gets defense aid beyond 2014 troop withdrawal - Daily Mail Online". Mail Online. 7 July 2012. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2170049/U-S-declares-Afghanistan-major-non-NATO-ally-ensure-nation-gets-defense-aid-2014-troop-withdrawal.html. Retrieved 20 May 2016. 
  8. Scott Stearns (2012-07-07). "Afghanistan Designated Major US Ally During Clinton Visit to Kabul". Voanews.com. http://www.voanews.com/content/afghanistan-designated-major-us-ally/1364693.html. Retrieved 2014-01-31. 
  9. 22 U.S.C. § 2321k
  10. "Overview of U.S. Policy Toward South America and the President's Upcoming Trip to the Region". http://commdocs.house.gov/committees/intlrel/hfa44953.000/hfa44953_0.htm. Retrieved 20 May 2016. 
  11. "Bahrain Joins Iran in Opposing Strike". August 18, 2002. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,60715,00.html. Retrieved July 7, 2012. 
  12. "Bush 'upgrades' Philippines". May 20, 2003. http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/05/19/bush.philippines/. Retrieved July 7, 2012. 
  13. Shirley Kan (December 2009). Taiwan: Major U.S. Arms Sales Since 1990. DIANE Publishing. pp. 52. ISBN 978-1-4379-2041-3. https://books.google.com/books?id=fJSHhOZo_j8C&pg=PA52. 
  14. Despeignes, Peronet (October 20, 2003). "U.S. wants APEC agenda to include security issues". https://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2003-10-19-us-apec_x.htm. Retrieved July 7, 2012. 
  15. "US tightens military relationship with Kuwait". January 15, 2004. http://docs.newsbank.com/g/GooglePM/APAB/lib00581,1006A9E4C0DAF1EC.html. Retrieved July 7, 2012.  (subscription required)
  16. "US rewards Morocco for terror aid". June 4, 2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3776413.stm. Retrieved July 7, 2012. 
  17. http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/papers10/paper959.html South Asia Analysis Group Archived April 24, 2012, at the Wayback Machine.
  18. "Hillary Clinton says Afghanistan 'major non-Nato ally'". July 7, 2012. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-18750732. Retrieved July 7, 2012. 
  19. https://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2012/08/196675.htm Archived August 25, 2012, at the Wayback Machine.
  20. "Designation of Tunisia as a Major Non-NATO Ally". U.S. Department of State. https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2015/07/244811.htm. Retrieved 20 May 2016. 
  21. "Memorandum on the Designation of the Federative Republic of Brazil as a Major Non-NATO Ally". whitehouse.gov. July 31, 2019. https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/memorandum-designation-federative-republic-brazil-major-non-nato-ally/. 
  22. "Message to the Congress on Designating Brazil as a Major Non-NATO Ally". whitehouse.gov. May 8, 2019. https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/message-congress-designating-brazil-major-non-nato-ally/. 
  23. "US Congress passes Russia sanctions, arms for Ukraine". Yahoo News. 14 December 2014. https://news.yahoo.com/us-congress-passes-russia-sanctions-arms-ukraine-054621335.html. Retrieved 14 May 2015. 
  24. Toosi, Nahal (14 May 2015). "U.S. may raise Arab states to 'major' ally status". Politico. http://www.politico.com/story/2015/05/white-house-arab-states-major-ally-status-military-financial-aid-summit-gcc-117965.html?hp=r1_4. Retrieved 14 May 2015. 
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