Lessons from U.S. Allies in Security Cooperation with Third Countries: The Cases of Australia, France, and the United Kingdom
Abstract
The U.S. Air Force (USAF) and its allies have a long history of working with partner countries in the context of security cooperation as a means of building the defense capacity of the countries, maintaining and acquiring access to foreign territories for operational purposes, promoting economic and cultural ties, and strengthening relationships with partner air forces and fostering mutual security-related benefits. USAF conducts a host of activities with partner air forces around the world, including training, equipping, and field exercising, and facilitating other, less tangible activities, such as bilateral staff talks, workshops, conferences, tabletop exercises, and professional military education. Many U.S. allies conduct similar activities, albeit normally on a smaller scale in terms of resources and manpower expended, and overall number of activities. USAF executes the security cooperation guidance it receives from the combatant commands for partner country prioritization and key focus areas, which are ultimately defined by the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) in the Guidance for Employment of the Force. However, neither OSD, the combatant commands, nor the military services have the full picture of how, where, and why allies engage the same partner countries; whether working together in particular areas is a worthwhile or viable option; or whether specific lessons can be learned from the experiences of U.S. allies, for example, in planning, resourcing, and assessments. The research provided in this report is a step toward filling these critical knowledge gaps for U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and USAF planners, and program and resource managers.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2011
- Accession Number
- ADA550080
Entities
People
- Celeste W. Gventer
- Jennifer D.P. Moroney
- Laurence Smallman
- Stephanie Pezard
Organizations
- RAND Corporation