“Having a fuller understanding of allied military capabilities, plans, and strategies is becoming even more important as the US Government cuts its own defense budget and force structure. For American policymakers and strategists, knowing what relative assistance allies and partners can provide now and in the future, will only grow in importance” — Gary J. Schmitt, “A Hard Look at Hard Power”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Washington, DC (August 2015) — Since World War II, America has relied on a strong, worldwide network of strategic allies and partners to help sustain its global presence, deter adversaries, and provide the necessary men and materiel to fight wars. Yet, since the 1990s, the hard power capabilities of America’s allies have declined.
From a policymaker’s perspective, what is especially worrisome is the lack of detailed information about the actual hard power resources of America’s allies. Measuring military spending as a percentage of gross domestic product is useful for assessing a country’s defense burden, but it is not enough to fully understand the military-strategic plans, capacities, and outlook of each ally. In a new edited volume, A HARD LOOK AT HARD POWER: Assessing the Defense Capabilities of Key US Allies and Security Partners (United States Army War College Press, August 2015), Gary J. Schmitt, the codirector of AEI’s Marilyn Ware Center for Security Studies, and the volume’s contributors address this gap.
In each chapter of A HARD LOOK AT HARD POWER, experts from around the world examine strategic guidance documents, current and planned defense budgets, troop strengths, deployable capabilities, procurement programs, and research and development efforts. The countries they study include Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, South Korea, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom. Also included is an overview of NATO land, air, and maritime forces, as well as an assessment of the possibilities and limitations of smart defense and pooling initiatives to squeeze more from military allies.
For more information about A HARD LOOK AT HARD POWER, click here.
Gary J. Schmitt is a resident scholar and the codirector of the Marilyn Ware Center for Security Studies at the American Enterprise Institute. For interview requests, or for a copy of the book, please contact Meg Cahill at meg.cahill@aei.org or 202.862.7155.
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