NATO’s Article 5 test and 9/11’s lasting impact on U.S. security

The September 11 attacks killed 2,977 people and reshaped U.S. Security, triggering NATO’s first invocation of Article 5. Between 8:46 a.m. And 10:28 a.m. On September 11, 2001, four al‑Qaeda terrorists turned passenger aircraft into weapons, striking the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a site in Pennsylvania. The attacks prompted a national response that included airport security reforms and a renewed focus on collective defense.

On September 12, 2001, NATO allies agreed that the attacks would fall under Article 5 if investigators established that they had been directed from abroad. The alliance approved eight support measures, including intelligence sharing, access to allied ports and airfields, military overflight rights, and naval patrols in the Mediterranean. Seven NATO AWACS radar aircraft patrolled U.S. airspace, and some 830 personnel from 13 countries flew more than 360 sorties.

The first combat campaign in Afghanistan was launched under U.S. command on October 7, 2001, but NATO did not assume command of the International Security Assistance Force until August 2003. The mission grew to include more than 130,000 troops from 50 NATO and partner countries, becoming one of history’s largest coalitions. Congress approved the Authorization for Use of Military Force on September 18, and successive administrations used it to justify operations far beyond Afghanistan.

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