U.S. Air and Ground Conventional Forces for NATO: Air Defense Issues
Abstract
Investment in air defense will cost about $22.5 billion over the next five years if current programs remain unchanged. Different mixes of ground-based and airborne air defenses explored in this paper could lead either to savings of $2.6 billion between fiscal years 1979 and 1983 or to added costs of $2.0 billion over the same five-year period, when compared to the costs of maintaining current policy. Savings would follow if improvements were restricted to enhancing the air defenses of U.S. forces, increased costs would result from an effort to enhance the allies' air defenses as welt. The primary justification for air defense forces, and for U.S. conventional ground and air forces in general, is the defense of NATO's Central Region (that is, West Germany) against a possible attack by the Warsaw Pact. Thus, improvements in these forces are made on the presumption that they will strengthen NATO's defenses against the Warsaw Pact. Regardless of the improvements that are made in U.S. forces, however, the overall strength of NATO's defenses will depend to a large extent upon the Western European allies. England, Belgium, Holland, and West Germany provide about three-fourths of NATO's ground and air forces in Central Europe. The ground units from these countries are stationed in, and responsible for defending, northern Germany-the area of the Central Region with the most favorable terrain for a Warsaw Pact attack. Yet, the allies defenses in northern Germany are weaker, in terms of logistical and firepower capabilities, than those of the U.S. and German sectors to the south. This endangers the defense of Western Europe, since a successful attack in the north could outflank U.S. and German forces in southern Germany and collapse NATO's defenses before major reinforcements could arrive.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1978
- Accession Number
- ADA452546
Entities
People
- Marshall Hoyler
Organizations
- Congressional Budget Office