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EDITORIAL INTRODUCTION
Alojz Šteiner, Liliana Brožič
»Anciently those called skilled in war conquered an enemy easily conquered« is a 
sentence from The Art of War, written by one of the most important Chinese Taoist 
warriors and philosophers, Sun Tzu. Master Sun has many interpreters, as the uni-
versality of his messages is, in many ways, still applicable nowadays. For this reason 
we have used this sentence to stand at the beginning of this year’s third issue of the 
Bulletin of the Slovenian Armed Forces. The issue has been designed as a scientific 
and professional contribution in the field of defence and security, dedicated to the 60th 
anniversary of NATO which, for this occasion, has chosen the slogan ‘Young at 60’. 
The main characteristics of the current period are intensive changes in the security 
environment and adjustment to these changes. The definition of military operati-
ons and military victories is at this time often completely different from the esta-
blished concepts and earlier practices. In the face of the current circumstances, we 
of course cannot ignore the economic crisis and recession, which pose the question 
of whether it is necessary to invest in defence and security subsystems, or whether 
it is permissible to weaken them and first take care of other social subsystems. We 
are thus faced with the question of whether the field of defence and security needs 
to deal with the issue of survival first or whether it is a matter of gathering courage 
for change. These questions are, in fact, constant historical features. After the end 
of World War I and particularly during the Great Depression, those who invested in 
survival outside the field of defence and security were always weaker. The endless 
arms race and excessive investments in it during the Cold War forced a range of 
national economies and nationalised planned economies to their knees. The answer 
to the question of how to provide defence and security in the current situation is 
multifaceted and complex – as Master Sun Tzu would have put it, it was easy to 
prevail in ancient times. That is why wisdom and prudence are essential in strategies, 
doctrines, visions and the modernisation of armies, as well as of defence and security 
systems at national and transnational levels. We are often faced with the question of 
whether small countries should contribute in this matter or act merely as observers of 
Editorial
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Alojz Šteiner, Liliana Brožič
developments and actions of large countries. We could use Slovenia as an example 
of a young country which has reached the age of 18 and has been a full member of 
the North Atlantic Alliance and the European Union for five years. Such an example 
enables the exchange of new outlooks and different ideas, indicates additional possi-
bilities for changes and adjustments, and ultimately brings more of a youthful spirit. 
The editorial board has tried to answer the question of what we can contribute 
to confirm the truth of the slogan ‘Young at 60’. In planning this issue, we have 
carefully selected contents and authors connected to Slovenian operations in the field 
of defence and security in order to present several different views of NATO and the 
EU on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of Slovenia’s membership in both or-
ganisations. With topics such as the introduction of Network Enabling Capabilities 
and various aspects of integration, which accompany transformation as a global 
paradigm, and the process of changing defence and military systems and the role of 
the military, we wish to contribute Slovenia’s experience in cooperation and the esta-
blishment of common policies within NATO and the EU. 
Since the articles in this issue of the Bulletin are in the English language, it is appro-
priate to add an editorial explanation. First, there is the intention of presenting the 
international environment with topics which show Slovenia’s experience after five 
years of integration and membership in the Alliance. In this respect we are particu-
larly pleased with the cooperation of the foreign author. The circle of participants 
is thus expanding and the possibilities for publishing articles abroad are presen-
ting themselves. In designing the current issue we have participated with the IISS 
(International Institute for Strategic Studies) in London, where the renowned author 
Bastian Giegerich is based. The publication is thus symbolically considering new 
approaches and future challenges.
In 2009, the Bulletin of the Slovenian Armed Forces entered its 11th year of publi-
cation. At the beginning of April 2009, the first issue of the 11th year was published 
with a new graphic design. This issue carried the meaningful title of In the Service of 
Peace, its contents dedicated to international operations and missions. By carefully 
selecting topics for the third issue, the editorial board has tried to realise the intention 
of placing the publication at a higher level through increased quality and a larger 
number of scientific articles. The readers, including national and foreign expert 
public, reading through the summaries of the articles in the second part of this 
editorial, will judge whether or not we have managed to achieve the intention of 
becoming more recognisable in the international environment.
We are pleased that Dr Ljubica Jelušič, Minister of Defence, has contributed the 
introductory article. She presents several topical aspects of the five-year period of 
Slovenian integration in the Alliance structure.
Milan  Jazbec,  PhD, in ‘NATO at Sixty: From the Cold War to Intercultural 
Dialogue’, presents NATO’s operations and development, which in his opinion 
 23 Bilten Slovenske vojske 
EDITORIAL INTRODUCTION
are marked by two complementary aspects: the enlargement and transformation of 
the Alliance. As he states, at the time of NATO’s 60th anniversary, we can say that 
NATO members are still interested in retaining their membership and there is great 
readiness for cooperation between members and non-members (or those countries 
that wish to become members). 
Primož  Šavc, in ‘The Slovenian Experience of Defence Planning and NATO 
Membership’,  throws light on the last five years of Slovenia’s membership in the 
Alliance and summarises the key changes which he himself has seen and are today an 
integral part of the independent Slovenia’s 18-year history. His experience is linked 
to his participation in the process of Slovenia’s accession to NATO and to defence 
planning in Slovenia and the Alliance. The author takes a very critical approach and 
the dilemmas and conclusions he presents, linked to theoretical bases and practical 
experience, may contribute to an understanding of the reality of defence planning in 
the future. Whether or not this will be the case remains to be seen.
Brigadier David Humar, Colonel Ivan Mikuž, Lieutenant Colonels Samo Zanoškar 
and Dejan Groff, and Major Leon Holc, in their article entitled ‘Integration of 
the Slovenian Armed Forces in NATO and the Military Structure of the European 
Union’, lead the reader on the path the Slovenian Armed Forces have taken so far, 
i.e. through the period of preparation for membership in NATO and the EU military 
structures as well as the Armed Forces’ activities after Slovenia’s accession to both 
integrations. The authors present the key elements of the Slovenian Armed Forces’ 
contribution to international security structures and share with the reader their views 
of the future.
Damir Črnčec, PhD, in ‘Exchange of Experiences in Intelligence and Security with 
the European Union and NATO’, acquaints the reader with the operation of defence 
and security structures in NATO and the European Union and with the cooperation 
of intelligence and security organisations of member states with these structures, 
including Slovenia’s contribution. He presents and emphasises the importance of 
cooperation which has been greatly enhanced in recent years and is one of the key 
pillars in the provision of national and international security. 
Anton Bebler, PhD, has ptrepared an article entitled ‘Slovenia’s Road to NATO’ 
in which he presents a comprehensive list of various factors which contributed to 
Slovenia’s accession to NATO. One of the factors was undoubtedly Slovenian public 
opinion which, in a referendum, showed strong support for NATO membership. On 
the basis of public opinion polls, Bebler, PhD, ascertains that the Slovenian public is 
critical of the activities of the Alliance in Iraq and Afghanistan and wonders how this 
affects the confidence the Slovenian public has in NATO.
Major General Alojz  Šteiner, in ‘It is Time for Transformation’, addresses the 
question of transformation, its essence and challenges, from the theoretical point 
of view. He claims that the transformation paradigm and transformation process 
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Alojz Šteiner, Liliana Brožič
present a topical framework for the field of defence and military and at the same 
time wonders how to realise the two in a small country like Slovenia during the time 
of economic recession. 
Uroš Svete, PhD, and Lieutenant Colonel Zoran Jankovič, in their article entitled 
‘Experience of the Republic of Slovenia in the Introduction of Network Operation 
Capabilities’, draw attention to the importance of introducing network capabilities. 
They emphasise that, regardless of the size of the system which is being transfor-
med into a network operation, such an operation requires an integrated approach and 
consideration of technological, doctrinal and human components, otherwise success 
cannot be achieved and the essence of this capability cannot be realised. 
Anton Travner, in ‘Schengen, Evolution, Enlargement and Slovenia’s Entry into the 
Common Schengen Area’, provides the reader with information on the characteri-
stics, history and development of the Schengen area and the activities of Slovenia in 
relation to its establishment. The author actively participated in the establishment of 
the area and acquaints the reader with advantages and disadvantages of the solutions 
as well as with several guidelines for the future of the Schengen area.
Bastian Giegerich, PhD, in ‘NATO Integration of European Countries: Military and 
Political Indicators’, acquaints the reader with indicators of the member states of the 
Alliance, such as movements in the defence budget, the activities and participation of 
individual countries in international operations in crisis areas, defence reforms and 
the influence of public opinion. Indicators in all four areas strongly interact and are 
manifested differently in each member state, which in turn also affects the Alliance.
Anton Grizold, PhD, and Rok Zupančič, in ‘Five Years in the Alliance and 60 Years 
of the Alliance: Slovenia and NATO’, discuss the anniversary of the Alliance and par-
ticularly its role in Afghanistan. They are interested in whether the Alliance has proved 
successful in the case of Afghanistan, whether it is achieving the set objectives and 
whether it is still organised in a way that enables it to face modern security challen-
ges. The authors have paid special attention to the role of Slovenia as a member of the 
Alliance and the EU in Afghanistan, which, according to the authors, is very important. 
After sixty years of operation, NATO is searching for new methods and a fresh impetus, 
which is also evident in its intention to form a new NATO Strategic Concept (NSC). 
The published articles point to the fact that Slovenia has successfully completed the 
first five years of its integration in the Alliance. In accordance with its set objecti-
ves, Slovenia has introduced many changes in the field of defence and security, while 
many still await it, including those that present a challenge to all NATO members. The 
authors of this editorial have also had the opportunity to follow these changes and be 
part of them. They are therefore looking into the future with expectation.