Selective Security Cooperation: A Proposed Index to Measure the Value of Partners and Focus International Engagement
Abstract
As resources diminish within the US Department of Defense (DoD) and the individual services strive to develop light footprint forces while rebalancing to the Pacific, the United States finds itself relying on partners at a level last witnessed during World War II. Security Cooperation (SC) is the DoDs mechanism of choice for engaging with potential allies. As a critical enabler, SC must be deliberately and thoughtfully concentrated. Scarce resources should be focused on specific partners and regions based on a predictive, standardized formula balancing economic opportunity, access, political alignment and human capital. A broad engagement strategy is simply not possible given shrinking budgets and competing programs: when SC initiatives overreach, they risk irrelevance. The solution is a more focused methodology. The crux of such a methodology lies in fairly evaluating targeted partners with an agreed upon tool. By weighting factors via a standardized index, the United States can prioritize and invest accordingly in potential allies. Fortified by guidance and vision contained in the National Security Strategy, the Air Force Global Partnership Strategy and the DoD's Guidance for Employment of the Force, the Security Cooperation Index (SCI) outlined in this paper utilizes a formula capable of providing policy makers and senior leaders with a jumping-off point for evaluation and prioritization. As engagement and cooperation continue to be pursued as means for dealing with shrinking budgets, the application of SC programs must be correspondingly measured. The SCI is a tool to assist in bridging this gap. By helping to re-focus American resources in the SC arena, the SCI enables the promotion of US interests abroad and the pursuit of global stability.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 13, 2014
- Accession Number
- AD1019207
Entities
People
- A. J. Werner
Organizations
- Air War College