WESTERN DEFENSE:

B U R D E N S H A R IN G

TH E EU R O P E A N V IE W

EUROGROUP

WHAT IS EUROGROUP? ^EUROGROUP was established in

1968 as an informal grouping of De- O fense Ministers of European Govern- <2o ments within the framework of the NATO Alliance.

EUROGROUP aims to insure that the contri­bution which its twelve members make to Alli­ance defense is as strong and cohesive as pos­sible. It lays special stress on promoting practical co-operation and has technical sub-groups working in the fields of:

Training (EURO/NATO TRAINING)Logistics (EUROLOG)Communications (EUROCOM)Military Medicine (EUROMED)Operational Concepts (EUROLONGTERM)

The Defense Ministers of the EUROGROUP members meet every six months to direct this activity and to discuss major defense and security issues, especially those related to NATO’s defense planning business.

EUROGROUP also seeks to explain the European defense effort to audiences in the United States.

EUROPEAN DEFENSE CO-OPERATION CHECKLISTEuropean Members of NATO EUROGROUP IEPG WEU

Belgium DenmarkFrance • • •Germany • • • •Greece Iceland ItalyLuxembourg The Netherlands Norway Portugal Spain TurkeyUnited Kingdom

ImprintPublisher:

The EUROGROUP Secretariat United kingdom Delegation to NATO 1110 Brussels Belgium

Overall Production:

Press and Information Office of the Federal Ministry of Defense, Federal Republic of Germany, Bonn 1988

CAN EUROPE DO MORE? >The European Allies are far from C l <C

complacent about NATO’s conven- 'J~tional defense posture and are resol­ved to do more. For example, they are playing a full part in the Conventional De- O fense Improvement plan, which is seeking to make the best possible use of resources inve­sted in defense.

EQUIPMENT COLLABORATIONCollaboration can help to reduce and spread the rising

costs of defense equipment. There are also important military advantages to be gained from a greater standar­dization of equipment within the Alliance. The Euro­peans have experience of successful collaboration stretching back over more than 20 years. Within Europe, major projects have included the highly effective Tor­nado aircraft. The multinational F-16 program was a fur­ther example of collaboration, this time on a transatlan­tic basis. Efforts are now being made on a European basis by the IEPG, and in NATO as a whole, to expand the amount of collaboration and to set it upon a more systematic footing.

CO-OPERATION IN OTHER FIELDSThis is already happening. The national defense ef­

forts of the European countries participating in NATO defense planning are co-ordinated in accordance with NATO goals and most of the forces of the European members of NATO’s integrated military structure would be transferred from national to NATO command in times of crisis and war. Links between forces throughout NATO are growing closer all the time, and are tested in regular exercises. The European Allies are also looking at the scope for further co-operation in training and the provision of major operational capabilities (such as NATO’s Airborne Early Warning Force).

IS EUROPE’S DEFENSE EFFORT GOOD VALUE FOR MONEY?

EUROGROUP nations believe that it is. For example, the high proportion of conscripts in most European ar­mies means that on average European manpower costs half that of all-volunteer American forces. In addition, European Allies have been improving the management of their defense budgets in order to release additional resources to strengthen conventional defense. For ex­ample, since the late 1970s, the United Kingdom has been able to transfer several thousand British ser­vicemen from support functions to frontline units and to increase reserve force availability by 50,000.

WHY IS THERE A DEBATE?

Pressure to reduce the United States trade deficit and government spending O ,has given new life to old arguments about how the responsibilities and benefits of Alii- ance membership should be shared fairly among Q all its members.

ARE THE EUROPEANS PAYING ENOUGH?Statistics are often used to belittle the European con­

tribution, but the European record since the early 1970s is one of steady and sustained growth in defense expen­diture. The figures below show that Europe has, since 1970, taken a much greater share of the burden of com­mon defense.Increase in Total Defense Spending 1970-87

Europe + 34 % US + 15 %Increase in Per Capita Defense Spending 1970-86

Europe + 21 % US - 3 %Increase in Total Military Manpower 1970-87

Europe + 5 % US - 31 %And remember that after all the defense bills have been paid, the average American still has 60 % more than the average European to spend on other things.

WHAT ABOUT OUTPUT?* The European Allies assume by far the greater share of the land and air defense of the European continent.* They contribute substantially to maritime defense in the Atlantic, and the Mediterranean and Northern Seas.* They share in the burdens and risks of sustaining the nuclear element of NATO’s strategy.* They provide substantial support in Europe for North American in-place forces and reinforcements.* They contribute to the protection of Western interests outside the NATO area.

WHAT IS THE US ADMINISTRATION’S VIEW?

A succession of reports to Congress from US Secretaries for Defense, based on a detailed analysis of all the relevant factors, has concluded that the non-US NATO Allies as a group are shouldering roughly their fair share of the common defense burden.

WESTERN DEFENSE:

B U R D E N S H A R IN G

TH E E U R O P EA N V IE W

EUROGROUP

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WHAT IS THE < C ^ ’EUROPEAN PILLAR’? ^

The NATO Alliance is like a bridge spanning the Atlantic and supported on twin pillars, Europe and North Ame­rica. If the bridge is to remain sound, the two pillars must be strong and well matched.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?The US commitment to Europe is fundamental to the

Alliance. But a healthy Alliance needs both Europe and North America to share fully in both the responsibilities and benefits of membership. A more cohesive Euro­pean defense effort will strengthen the Alliance militari­ly, financially and politically.

HOW DOES IT WORK?European defense co-operation is not tightly struc­

tured. But three organizations provide it with a focus. The EUROGROUP is one. The others are —

The Independent European Programme Group(IEPG) which promotes European co-operation in the research, development and production of defense equipment; encourages transatlantic armaments co­operation; and helps to maintain a healthy European in­dustrial and technological defense base.

The Western European Union (WEU), which is a con­sultative European forum on security issues, commits the signatories to afford one another all the military aid in their power should one of them be the object of an armed attack in Europe.

WHERE DOES IT FIT INTO NATO?NATO is the central forum in which all important deci­

sions about collective security are taken. A more coherent European defense effort does not represent a threat to Alliance unity or a signal that the Europeans would prefer to go it alone. On the contrary, EUROGROUP nations see it as a sensible way of im­proving the overall strength of the Alliance.

. .A .WHAT CONTRIBUTION DOES EUROPE MAKE? <£*

For the conventional defense of Eu- 'Orope, the European Allies rightly assume by far the greater share of the Alliance de­fense burden. Looking at in-place forces, many of them deployed outside their own national terri- ^ tories, the Europeans provide —

95 °/o divisions

90 % manpower90 % artillery

o00 % tanks

00 o % combat aircraft

65 % major warships

WHAT ABOUT REINFORCEMENTS?In a crisis, massive North American reinforcements

would be needed in Europe. While US regular and reserve forces total 3.8 million, Europe can put 7 million men and women in the field after mobilization.

HOW GOOD IS EUROPEAN EQUIPMENT?Since 1970, there has been a 34 % real increase in

defense expenditure by the European Allies. Much of this has been spent on equipment and ammunition. During the 1980s alone, 1,400 Tornado and F16 aircraft, 2,000 Leopard tanks and 1,200 M109 howitzers will have entered service with the European Allies. As a result, Europe’s conventional forces are increasingly well equipped to meet the threat.

WHAT ABOUT NUCLEAR FORCES?The European Allies share in the responsibilities and

burdens of nuclear deterrence. This is much more than a theoretical commitment. The United Kingdom and France operate their own independent nuclear forces, which are being kept up to date and effective. Seven European Allies offer basing or common defense facilities for US theater nuclear forces, or themselves provide weapon systems with US (and, in the case of Britain, their own) nuclear warheads.

WHAT IS ’HOST NATION ^ SUPPORT’? *£>

This is the support provided by the (O, European Allies for North American for­ces stationed in Europe in peacetime and "O for the much larger numbers of North Ame- rlcan reinforcements required in Europe during “V * tension and war. The value of these support arran­gements is considerable, but it is difficult to quantify in simple cash terms.

WHAT FORM DOES IT TAKE?

Bases and installations — some 900 operated by the US throughout Europe. In Germany alone, $22 billion worth of real estate and 56,000 housing units are placed at the disposal of US forces, free of charge.

Support for US reinforcements — including provi­sion for the use of seaports, airports, roads, railways, in­land waterways, services and supplies, together with logistic support and special operating bases for US reinforcing aircraft.

Training — this is essential to maintain the opera­tional readiness of Allied forces, but it imposes a burden of noise, disruption and environmental damage on many Europeans. In Germany, for example, NATO holds 85 major and some 5,000 smaller exercises every year, and 580,000 sorties are flown in German airspace. All of this happens in a country no larger than Oregon but with a population twenty times greater.

WHAT DOES EUROPE CONTRIBUTE TO NATO’S INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM?

70 % of NATO’s infrastructure program is funded by the European Allies. 40 % of infrastructure projects are in direct support of US forces. Since 1949, this program has financed the construction of well over 200 airfields, more than 2,000 hardened airfield shelters, 6,000 miles of fuel pipelines, and major communications and elec­tronic systems.

HOW IS EUROPE INVOLVED? ^

Like the US, the European Allies have ■ 'q O l ^ economic and political interests worldwide. ^They take an active role in promoting peace and stability in areas of the world where deve­lopments may affect these interests.

WHAT ARE THE EUROPEANS DOING?A number of the European Allies maintain a military

presence outside the NATO area, and between them permanently deploy forces in Africa, the Indian Ocean, the Far East and Central America. Other forces based in Europe have a capability on a national basis to in­tervene outside the Treaty area, where they regularly take part In exercises and visits. The European Allies also have substantial military assistance programs to help friendly governments to build up their own defense forces.

RECENT EXAMPLES OF MILITARY BURDENSHARING OUT OF AREA1980 — British warships began patrolling the Gulf.

1983 — three European Allies joined the US in sending military contingents to Beirut.

1984 — four European Allies sent minesweepers to help clear mines from sea lanes in the Gulf of Suez.

1987 — five European Allies, members of the WEU, sent naval forces to the Gulf to help keep international sea lanes open. At the beginning of 1988 there were more than 25 European warships in the Gulf region.

WHAT ABOUT NON-MILITARY AID?Non-military aid makes an important contribution

towards global stability. In 1987, the European Allies contributed $16.9 billion of official development aid to the poorer nations of the world. The US figure was $9.6 billion.