Europe’s military and security capabilities
Open discussion session: 'Issues in defining and measuring Europe's Capabilities'.
Fifteen years after the Cold War, debate about European military and security capabilities is intense. Many countries have made considerable efforts to adapt their armed forces to modern threats and requirements. But it is not yet clear that Europe collectively obtains full value from the sum of national defence budgets. If nations are to confront security challenges and play the roles that their leaders envisage, they need the right capabilities.
In January 2005, the IISS launched a dedicated 18 month programme to assess Europe’s military and security capabilities. The main purpose of the project is to advance international understanding on capabilities issues and it will build on data gathered for The Military Balance, the IISS annual publication detailing armed forces, equipment portfolios and defence spending for 170 countries.
