One should also not forget that industrial capacity is one of the most important factors when it comes to defence.
For example, of the sh** hits the fan Germany could easily outproduce Russia and would still be able to arm the rest of europe with the spare capacities.
The real problem is that even the big countries are sacrificing core capabilities. Material is easy to produce and soldiers easy to train as long as you have the knowledge about how to employ your toys. But lost knowledge is not easily to get back.
Bringing a heavy combined arms division to the field and keeping it there may for example become a rare capability within NATO outside of the US.
I for one think that a healthy and powerfull economy are much more important for the defence of a country than some more planes, tanks, whatever, as long as one retaines the proficiency in using them.
For this reason I think that for example the economic shift in the UK away from heavy industries to a disproportional large financial sector is a much bigger risk for the big longterm goal of guaranteering the safety of the Isles in times of crisis.
Oversea missions are mere sideshows. Being able to deploy a couple of thousand troops more ore less around the globe to some 3rd world hellhole is not vital for europe as a whole but the ability to ramp up production and increase troop strength Reichswehr style is.
As Beastmaster said, Europe has done this in the past and will do it in the future if the need for it arises.
Even with the castrated militaries of these days I can't think of a country which currently could endanger the safety of the European countries even with the US turning it's back on Europe.
For example, of the sh** hits the fan Germany could easily outproduce Russia and would still be able to arm the rest of europe with the spare capacities.
The real problem is that even the big countries are sacrificing core capabilities. Material is easy to produce and soldiers easy to train as long as you have the knowledge about how to employ your toys. But lost knowledge is not easily to get back.
Bringing a heavy combined arms division to the field and keeping it there may for example become a rare capability within NATO outside of the US.
I for one think that a healthy and powerfull economy are much more important for the defence of a country than some more planes, tanks, whatever, as long as one retaines the proficiency in using them.
For this reason I think that for example the economic shift in the UK away from heavy industries to a disproportional large financial sector is a much bigger risk for the big longterm goal of guaranteering the safety of the Isles in times of crisis.
Oversea missions are mere sideshows. Being able to deploy a couple of thousand troops more ore less around the globe to some 3rd world hellhole is not vital for europe as a whole but the ability to ramp up production and increase troop strength Reichswehr style is.
As Beastmaster said, Europe has done this in the past and will do it in the future if the need for it arises.
Even with the castrated militaries of these days I can't think of a country which currently could endanger the safety of the European countries even with the US turning it's back on Europe.