NATO Military Committee head Giampaolo Di Paola said the new command would be flexible, slimmer but effective, and said he could not give details as the outcome of the meeting must be approved by the alliance's 28 member states.

Many members states are eyeing budget cuts. Governments are facing a difficult choice and NATO has to acknowledge that, Di Paola told reporters.

The military chiefs also discussed the situation in Afghanistan, which held a parliamentary vote on Saturday.

The meeting comes ahead of the alliance's summit in Lisbon on November 19-20.

The Military Committee discussed the alliance's new strategic concept, a document to be adopted in Lisbon on the new threats NATO faces -- cyber attacks, missiles and terrorism that will replace the current one from 1999.

"We discussed the new strategic concept in detail... but don't expect any specific outcomes. This conference was aimed at sharing opinions and looking for compromises that will be further discussed," Slovak Military Chief Lubomir Bulik said.

earlier related report
Russian naval aircraft buzz US warship: Pentagon
Washington (AFP) Sept 17, 2010 - The Pentagon on Friday said Russian naval aircraft buzzed close to a US warship in the Berents Sea last week, just days before Moscow's defense minister paid a high-profile visit to Washington.

A Russian IL-38 plane on September 10 flew at low altitude within 50 yards (meters) of the American frigate, the USS Taylor, which had just visited the port city of Murmansk, Pentagon spokesman Colonel Dave Lapan told reporters.

The next day, a Russian helicopter took off from a nearby ship and also buzzed to within about 50 yards of the warship, at an altitude of only 100 feet, he said.

"They were pretty close," Lapan said.

The incident sounded a discordant note after US officials took pains to portray Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov's visit on Wednesday as a sign of warmer relations between the former Cold War foes.

The head of the US Navy, Admiral Gary Roughead, discussed the incident with his Russian counterpart, who was part of the defense minister's delegation, Lapan said.

US and Russian officers are discussing whether "protocols" had been violated in the incident, which occurred in international waters, he said.

The episode, however, did not come up during talks between US Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Serdyukov, he said.

When the Russian aircraft flew low and close to the ship, the American crew did not man battle stations, Lapan said.

"The ship did not take this as hostile," he said.

The USS Taylor had come to Murmansk for ceremonies honoring veterans from World War II. During the conflict, US and allied ships used the port to deliver supplies to Soviet forces battling the Nazis.

Despite the end of the Cold War, Russian aircraft -- including bombers -- have buzzed low over US ships in recent years. US military officials tend to play down the flyovers in public comments, saying the incidents pose no threat.

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