The modes and modalities of cross-regional security cooperation: innovations in alliance management and strategic coordination

Abstract

This Special Section examines how Western allies and partners across the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions are developing new ‘modes’ and ‘modalities’ of security cooperation to strengthen their ties in the face of intensifying strategic competition. Institutional ‘modes’ of security cooperation are evolving in innovative ways, exemplified by new platforms for cross-regional collaboration, such as the NATO-IP4, and the rise of minilateral initiatives like AUKUS, GCAP, and potentially the Quad (Plus). Simultaneously, the functional ‘modalities’ of security cooperation being adapted to meet the demands of strategic competition, with practical activities ranging from multi-domain combined exercises to unprecedented joint techno-industrial projects. The series of analyses in this Special Section explore these interlocking and overlapping trends in contemporary security cooperation, offering a policy-oriented perspective on how cross-regional collaboration among allies is evolving both institutionally and operationally.