A defense pact (Commonwealth spelling: defence pact) is a type of treaty or military alliance in which the signatories promise to support each other militarily and to defend each other. Generally, the signatories point out the threats and concretely prepare to respond to it together.
A major non-NATO ally (MNNA) is a designation given by the United States government to countries that have strategic working relationships with the United States Armed Forces while not being members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
While MNNA status does not automatically constitute a mutual defense pact with the United States—as would be the case through NATO membership—it does confer a variety of military and financial advantages that are otherwise unobtainable by non-NATO countries. The designation also denotes strong diplomatic and economic ties and is considered a symbol of mutual friendship.