NOISY INTENTIONS:

Europe's defense challenge (Klaus Naumann, 3/15/05, UPI)

Anyone talking to Europeans about the need to improve European military capabilities will hear a lot of positive noises and many declarations of goodwill and firm intentions. But the question remains, as so often in the past, as to what extent Europe will really be able to match its words with adequate deeds. It, therefore, might be helpful to begin with an assessment where Europe really stands in spring 2005.

There is a widening gap between the United States and Europe, both in terms of conceptual thinking and in terms of capabilities. Some, like the French defense minister, do not believe that a technological gap exists. They believe that Europe is capable of fielding material that might, in certain niches, even be superior to American products.

Europe is undoubtedly capable of developing and manufacturing high technology products, but at the same time, is clearly behind the United States in integrating individual elements into systems, let alone a network of systems. It is this "systems of systems" approach to force planning plus the capability to enable armed forces to conduct network-centric operations that drive the transformation of the armed forces.

The United States began transformation in the late '90s, at a time when the Europeans were still taking decisions to invest in legacy forces. The result is quite obvious: Politically, the United States is and will remain the only power that can act globally, use all the instruments of politics in crisis management, and, most importantly, seems to have the political will to act -- if necessary preventively -- to keep risks at a distance from the American homeland.

Let's see just one European leader propose transferring money from the welfare net to the military.

Posted by Orrin Judd at March 15, 2005 10:29 PM