List of NATO operations
Although the North Atlantic Treaty Organization existed as an alliance and conducted joint military exercises throughout the Cold War period, it engaged in no military operations during this time. All of its military operations occurred in the post-Cold War era. The first of these was in Bosnia, where NATO engaged to an increasing extent. This engagement culminated in NATO's 1995 air campaign, Operation Deliberate Force, which targeted the Army of Republika Srpska, whose presence in Bosnia posed a danger to United Nations Safe Areas. This engagement ultimately helped to bring about the Dayton Accords.
The organization played a prominent role in Afghanistan after the September 11 attacks, when the United States invoked Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which interprets an external attack on any member to be an attack on all NATO members under the idea of collective defense. NATO has participated in a wide range of roles elsewhere, including relief efforts, counter-piracy, enforcing no-fly zones and naval blockades.
Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992–2004)
NATO was prominent in Bosnia during the early 1990s, and gradually its role became larger with some operations escalating, for instance Operation Sky Monitor turned into Operation Deny Flight which gave NATO "all measures necessary" to enforce a more stringent no-fly zone unlike Sky Monitor during which the no-fly zone was violated over 500 times. It took 46 years after NATO's inception in 1949 for the organization first ever military intervention took place in 1995, Operation Deliberate Force which was targeted the Army of Republika Srpska in Bosnia whose presence posed a danger to designated United Nations "safe areas". The air campaign helped bring about the Dayton Accords.| Date | Operation | Location | Type | Information | ||||||
| 16 July 1992 – 22 November 1992 | Operation Maritime Monitor | International waters off former Yugoslavia | Naval blockade | Naval blockade aimed at enforcing sanctions stipulated in UN Security Council Resolutions United Nations [Security Council Resolution 713|713] and 757. | ||||||
| 16 October 1992 – 12 April 1993 | Operation Sky Monitor | Bosnian airspace | No-fly zone | Established a no-fly zone over the airspace of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Effectiveness of the no-fly zone is debatable as by April 1993 500 violations of the no-fly zone had been recorded. NATO members voted for an "all necessary measures" resolution by the United Nations to allow NATO a mandate to enforce the no-fly zone more stringently. | ||||||
| 22 November 1992 – 15 June 1993 | Operation Maritime Guard | International waters in Adriatic Sea | Naval blockade | Authorized NATO to use force, and included stopping, inspecting, and diverting ships bound for the former Yugoslavia. All ships bound to or coming from the territorial waters of the former Yugoslavia were halted for inspection and verification of their cargoes and destinations. | ||||||
| 13 April 1993 – 20 December 1995 | Operation Deny Flight | Bosnian airspace | No-fly zone | Resolution 816 extended the ban to cover flights by all fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft over the country, and to use all measures necessary to ensure compliance with the ban. Resolution 836 authorized the use of force by UNPROFOR in the protection of specially designated UN "safe areas". | ||||||
| 15 June 1993 – 2 October 1996 | Operation Sharp Guard |  YugoslaviaSerbia and Kosovo (1999–present)
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FR Yugoslavia