№85: Trends in Force Posture in Europe
№85: Trends in Force Posture in Europe

Author(s): Jacek Durkalec, Anna Maria Dyner, Artur Kacprzyk, Wojciech Lorenz, Marcin Andrzej Piotrowski, Marcin Terlikowski
Subject(s): Governance, International relations/trade, Security and defense, Military policy, Public Finances, Fiscal Politics / Budgeting
Published by: PISM Polski Instytut Spraw Międzynarodowych
Keywords: Europe; OSCE; military policy; US military presence in Europe; military expenditures; international relations;
Summary/Abstract: Two opposite trends in force posture in Europe became evident in the last decade. Out of the six biggest military spenders among the OSCE participating States, four—France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom—have been on a downward trend in regard to their force posture: reducing the number of personnel, downscaling high-end capabilities and decreasing force readiness; the same is true for the U.S. military presence in Europe. The outlier was Russia. While the Russian armed forces were shrinking and disposing of large quantities of legacy equipment, the military capabilities required for high-intensity conventional operations were revamped, force readiness improved, and scenarios involving a large-scale conflict in the OSCE area practiced.

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