Preparing the Western Alliance for the Next Out-of-Area Campaign: Linking NATO and the WEU
Abstract
The Desert Shield/Desert Storm campaign demonstrated once again the inherent strength of the Western Alliance to respond to challenges to common security interests. Nonetheless, the efforts on the part of the Western European Union (WEU), while supportive of the overall goals of the Western Alliance, were disruptive in regard to command and control during the allied buildup in Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf. The question U.S. officials and planners must now confront is how the WEU can be brought into a framework whereby its interest in meeting security challenges outside of Europe can be closely coordinated with North America and existing expertise in NATO. This study argues that one possible solution would be to form a joint NATO-WEU planning headquarters for the purpose of maintaining interoperability and general plans for such campaigns, should the political authorities of alliance members so agree.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 05, 1991
- Accession Number
- ADA235697
Entities
People
- Thomas D Young
Organizations
- United States Army War College