Europe's Armed Forces. Many European nations are currently re-thinking their post-Cold War military requirements in light of NATO's new strategic concept and the experience of the Kosovo war. This article analyzes the process of defense restructuring and modernization in France, the United Kingdom, and Germany. In each case, it offers an overview of current military posture and closely examines the plans for change in force structure, equipment procurement, and personnel policies. The article also attends to various constraints on defense planning, including military traditions, economic conditions, and domestic politics. It concludes that current plans lack sufficient strategic clarity and also suffer from a number of incongruities or "mismatches" -- for instance, between missions, planned structures, and available resources. "Europe's Armed Forces at the Millennium: A Case Study of Change in France, the United Kingdom, and Germany", by Lutz Unterseher.

By Project on Defense Alternatives , US.

Defense Policy Resource.