Impact to NATO and the United States of the European Unionâ??s Military Rapid-Reaction Force

<p>In 1999 the European Union (EU) established goals of fielding by 2003 a 60000-troop force deployable within sixty days and sustainable for up to one year. The force will be used for so-called Petersberg tasks that is humanitarian and rescue tasks peacekeeping tasks and tasks of combat forces in crisis management including peacemaking. The goals were spurred by European desires to have a crisis-response force which could act autonomously from NATO if necessary. This thesis explores the potential impact to NATO and the US of the EU's efforts to develop its crisis-reaction force. The research explores the military relationships between the EU force and NATO EU plans for military modernization the possible effects of expansion of both organizations and EU intentions vis a vis NATO. The EU will require NATO assistance for all but the simplest Petersberg missions in the near term and must continue to improve ties with NATO to that end. Despite the costs the EU rapid-reaction force imposes on NATO in terms of staff man-hours more complex command and control and increased training requirements the net results for the US and NATO should be positive: improved trans-Atlantic relations and continued relevance for NATO.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p><br>