Preparing for Coalition Warfare in the Age of Austerity
Abstract
Over the course of the last decade the West's collective proficiency in coalition warfare has greatly advanced. As we wind down operations in Libya, Iraq, and Afghanistan, this proficiency may be lost in an era of budget reductions and concomitant "strategic contraction." With the volatility of the international security environment, there will continue to be a demand for military interventions, and coalitions will probably be the structure of choice, not only to share the burden but moreover to garner international and domestic legitimacy. To be prepared for these operations, like-minded Western nations must internalize the coalition warfare lessons of the past decade, understand the form coalition warfare will take for future discretionary interventions, and with that understanding wisely invest scarce resources into those capabilities that will facilitate integration with coalition partners. As the militaries of like-minded nations become smaller and more resource-constrained, they must counter-intuitively reach out and form closer bonds with each other.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 05, 2012
- Accession Number
- ADA561887
Entities
People
- Wayne Eyre
Organizations
- United States Army War College