Joint Publication Multinational Operations

Multinational operations are operations conducted by forces of two or more nations, usually undertaken within the structure of a coalition or alliance. Other possible arrangements include supervision by an intergovernmental organization (IGO) such as the United Nations (UN), theNorth Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), or theOrganization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Two primary forms of multinational partnership that the joint force commander (JFC) will encounter are an alliance or a coalition. An alliance is the relationship that results from a formal agreement between two or more nations for broad, long-term objectives that further thecommon interests of the members. A coalition is an arrangement between two or more nations for common action.