European Adaptation to Expeditionary Warfare: Implications for the U.S. Army

The NATO Alliance deterred Soviet aggression towards Western Europe by maintaining a large ground force of several corps supported by numerous air armadas.

Success lay partly on vigilance and partly on the large heavy mechanized and armored divisions, which were suited for intensive combat in Central Europe.

That era has passed, unlikely to be replicated again.

To its credit, the Alliance recognized this change and began adapting almost immediately.

In this monograph, Dr. Andrew Dorman briefly examines the European response to the changing security environment and the opportunities presented by the European Security and Defense Policy Expeditionary Force.

As he correctly observes, the establishment of a European expeditionary force will be no easy matter, will require substantial investment, and will take years to complete.

However, it is the right course for Europe to take. The European Union (EU) cannot manage emerging security issues using Cold War legacy forces because they are too ponderous to deploy.