Global Operating Environment
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Global Operating Environment Assessing the Global Operating Environment easuring the “strength” of a military common means of command, communica- Mforce—the extent to which that force can tion, and other systems; and whether the U.S. accomplish missions—requires examination of maintains key bilateral alliances with nations the environments in which the force operates. in the region—also affect the operating en- Aspects of one environment may facilitate mil- vironment. Likewise, nations where the U.S. itary operations, but aspects of another may has already stationed assets or permanent work against them. A favorable operating en- bases and countries from which the U.S. has vironment presents the U.S. military with ob- launched military operations in the past may vious advantages; an unfavorable operating en- provide needed support to future U.S. military vironment may limit the effect of U.S. military operations. The relationships and knowledge power. The capabilities and assets of U.S. allies, gained through any of these factors would un- the strength of foes, the geopolitical environ- doubtedly ease future U.S. military operations ment of the region, and the availability of for- in a region and contribute greatly to a positive ward facilities and logistics infrastructure all operating environment. factor into whether an operating environment In addition to U.S. defense relations with- is one that can support U.S. military operations. in a region, additional criteria—including the When assessing an operating environment, quality of the local infrastructure, the political one must pay particular attention to any treaty stability of the area, whether or not a country obligations the United States has with coun- is embroiled in any conflicts, and the degree to tries in the region. A treaty defense obligation which a nation is economically free—should ensures that the legal framework is in place also be considered. for the U.S. to maintain and operate a military Each of these factors contributes to an in- presence in a particular country. In addition, a formed judgment as to whether a particular treaty partner usually yields regular training operating environment is favorable or unfa- exercises and interoperability as well as polit- vorable to future U.S. military operations. The ical and economic ties. operating environment assessment is meant to Additional factors—including the military add critical context to complement the threat capabilities of allies that might be useful to environment and U.S. military assessments U.S. military operations; the degree to which that are detailed in subsequent sections of the U.S. and allied militaries in the region the Index. are interoperable and can use, for example, This Index refers to all disputed territories by the name employed by the United States Department of State and should not be seen as reflecting a position on any of these disputes. The Heritage Foundation | heritage.org/Military 107 Europe v er the past year, America’s reengagement world’s most dangerous and contested regions. Owith Europe continued. The resurgence of From the eastern Atlantic Ocean to the Middle Russia, brought into starkest relief in Ukraine, East, up to the Caucasus through Russia, and and the continued fight against the Islamic into the Arctic, Europe is enveloped by an arc State (IS) in Iraq, Syria, and Libya brought Eu- of instability. The European region also has rope back into the top tier of U.S. international some of the world’s most vital shipping lanes, interests, and the U.S. increased its financial energy resources, and trade choke points. and military investment in support of Euro- European basing for U.S. forces provides the pean deterrence. The 51 countries in the U.S. ability to respond robustly and quickly to chal- European Command (EUCOM) area of respon- lenges to U.S. economic and security interests sibility include approximately one-fifth of the in and near the region. Russian naval activity world’s population, 10.7 million square miles in the North Atlantic and Arctic has necessitat- of land, and 13 million square miles of ocean. ed a renewed focus on regional command and Some of America’s oldest (France) and clos- control and has led to increased U.S. and allied est (the United Kingdom) allies are found in air and naval assets operating in the Arctic. In Europe. The U.S. and Europe share a strong addition, Russia’s strengthened position in commitment to the rule of law, human rights, Syria has led to a resurgence of Russian naval free markets, and democracy. During the 20th activity in the Mediterranean that has contrib- century, millions of Americans fought along- uted to “congested” conditions.2 side European allies in defense of these shared Threats to Internal Stability. In recent ideals—the foundations on which America years, Europe has faced turmoil and instability was built. brought about by high government debt, high America’s economic ties to the region are unemployment, the threat of terrorist attacks, likewise important. A stable, secure, and eco- and a massive influx of migrants. Political nomically viable Europe is in America’s eco- fragmentation resulting from these pressures, nomic interest. For more than 70 years, the U.S. disparate views on how to solve them, and a military presence has contributed to regional perceived lack of responsiveness among poli- security and stability, economically benefiting ticians threaten to erode stability even further, both Europeans and Americans. The econ- as centrist political parties and government in- omies of the member states of the European stitutions are seen as unable to deal effectively Union (EU), now 28 but soon to be 27,1 along with the public’s concerns. with the United States, account for approxi- Economic Factors. While Europe may finally mately half of the global economy. The U.S. and have turned a corner with reasonable growth the members of the EU are also each other’s in 2017 (the eurozone grew by 2.5 percent), principal trading partners. growth slowed again in the first quarter of Europe is also important to the U.S. because 2018.3 Unemployment across the 19-country of its geographical proximity to some of the eurozone bloc stands at 8.5 percent; for all 28 The Heritage Foundation | heritage.org/Military 109 EU members, it averages 7.1 percent.4 Greece by intentionally targeting civilians in Syria “in has the EU’s highest unemployment rate: 20.6 an attempt to overwhelm European structures percent; Spain’s is 16.1 percent, and Italy’s is 11 and break European resolve.”13 percent.5 Average youth unemployment across Germany registered 890,000 asylum seek- the eurozone is even greater, standing at 17.3 ers in 2015, 280,000 in 2016, and 186,644 in percent.6 2017.14 Today, one in eight people living in In addition to jobless youth, income dispar- Germany is a foreign national, and half are ities between older and younger Europeans from non-EU nations.15 Other European na- have widened. A January 2018 International tions such as Austria, Italy, and Sweden have Monetary Fund report noted that “[i]nequali- also taken in large numbers of migrants. Italy, ty across generations…erodes social cohesion for instance, has seen 600,000 migrants arrive and polarizes political preferences, and may since 2014.16 ultimately undermine confidence in political The impact of the migrant crisis is wide- institutions.”7 High government debt is anoth- spread and will continue for decades to come. er obstacle to economic vitality.8 Italy’s debt- Specifically, it has buoyed fringe political par- to-GDP ratio is 131.8 percent. Greece’s is even ties in some European nations and has imposed higher at 178.6 percent, and Portugal’s is 125.7 steep financial, security, and societal costs. The percent. In addition, Europe’s banking sector impact on budgets is significant. Germany re- is burdened by $1.17 trillion in nonperform- portedly plans to “spend close to $90 billion to ing loans.9 The Italian banking sector’s woes feed, house and train refugees between 2017 are especially troubling, followed by those of and 2020.”17 The costs of this crisis, which French and Spanish banks.10 affect both federal and state governments in The interconnectedness of the global econ- Germany, include processing asylum applica- omy and global financial system means that tions, administrative court costs, security, and any new economic crisis in Europe will have resettlement for those migrants who accept; profound impacts in the U.S. as well. Asked in Germany, families receive up to $3,540 to whether things were going in the right direc- resettle back in their home countries.18 For a tion in the European Union, 49 percent of Eu- host of reasons, integrating migrants into Eu- ropeans responded that they are going in the ropean economies has fallen flat.19 “In Sweden wrong direction, and 35 percent responded and Norway, foreigners are three times more that they are headed in the right direction.11 likely to be jobless than local people.”20 Migrant Crisis. The biggest political issue in A tenuous agreement with Turkey in March Europe and the most acute threat to stability is 2016 has largely capped migrant flows through migration. An Ipsos Institute poll released in the Balkans and Greece, but arrivals have not September 2017 found that 78 percent of Turks, stopped altogether. Rather, they have de- 74 percent of Italians, 66 percent of Swedes, 65 creased and shifted to the central and western percent of Germans, and 58 percent of French Mediterranean. In May 2018,