Given the competition that exists between both the peoples and their respective states, a state becomes powerful because of the military equipment it holds so that when sometimes require from the circumstances, to be able as much to resort to the use of arms as to flaunt its power.
The tools that secure the power of a state
The history has shown that there are five different instruments that secure the power of a state, these are:
1) the persuasiveness of the arguments used by a state and the agreement of the other states to these arguments,
2) the exchange on a basis of an agreement
3) the redemption of the opponent to achieve the goals
4) the compulsion by various means if this possibility exists
5) the threat and the recourse to the use of military power
By Thanos S. Chonthrogiannis
It is forbidden by the law of intellectual property in any way unlawful use/appropriation of the present article, with severe civil and criminal sanctions for the offender.
The use of arms by a state may be the primary need and purpose of any independent sovereign state, however, the proper use of the above five-mentioned instruments is the means of an effective foreign policy of an independent sovereign state.
The right combination of these five tools, depending on the situations that face each time a state, ensures not only the power of a state but also its hegemony over the other states.
Lack of or absence of one or more of the above five instruments-tools that must have in its queue a state, creates significant security breaches as to the security provision to its citizens.
On the other hand, if the tool of the arms use is completely absent then that state becomes fully dependent on the other states to ensure its security and defense and in no way can it be characterized as an independent sovereign state.
The basic purpose and supreme goal of a state is the security it provides to its citizens.
The security which a state provides to its citizens is defined as the state of situation which is continually found the services of the state through the constantly upgraded equipment and organized that it has in place so that it is always able to successfully deal with all the exceptional and emerged situations presented to it.
When a state achieves over time to demonstrate simultaneously its maximum strength in policy areas like politics, fiscal-economy, culture and mainly in defense/military-arms equipment in relation to the other states, then and only then this state can characterize as superpower.
The EU defense industry and the steps towards creating an EU common defense
The EU (European Union) and always based on its economic size and weight in the world trade, the magnitude of its budget, the purchasing power of its citizens and the weight of its currency in the global foreign exchange markets and monetary reserves equally and because of its financial contribution magnitude in the budgets of the global and supranational organizations can be characterized as an economic and political superpower.
But EU cannot be characterized as a military superpower because of a lack of European army/defense forces and fragmented defense industry.
An event that makes it, in an essentially means, dependent on its security and defense protection from supranational collective security organizations, i.e. the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), but also from the subscriber/contribution made by USA (United States of America).
In this article, I will explain what needs to be done and how will must be organized the European defense forces/army and more generally, the EU’s defense and security sector.
In a another article, I will explain how the European defense sector and military equipment of the European defense forces/army will be financed and in such a way so neither to burden the common European (federal) budget, nor the budgets of the EU member-countries acquiring simultaneously the EU common financial, fiscal, tax and military policy in the whole of its territory.
On November 23, 2017, the EU with its twenty-three (23) member-countries signed the treaty of CFSS (Common Foreign and Security Strategy). A Permanently Structured Cooperation among them on their security and defense.
A treaty that is in the right direction for the creation of an independent European army (European Defense Community) that will not rely on the forces of the NATO and the subscription of USA.
The positive element about this treaty (CFSP) is that it will allow the creation of economies of scale for the European defense industry.
These economies of scale can be achieved through a series of mergers and acquisitions among the companies that make up the European defense industry.
To trigger such merger and acquisition developments in the European defense industry, the EU will have to announce/report the development of equipment in every defense subsector/weapon system and always in big-giant production numbers, i.e. the creation of a fighting and/or long-distance bomber jet/airplane of 6th -7th generation that will be the backbone of the European Air Force in all EU member-countries.
In this case, there will be one or maximum two types in each weapon systems/equipment in every defense field, for example in areas like armored cavalry (battle tanks), aircrafts, naval surface ships, submarines, aircraft-carriers, battle equipment for infantry and special forces correspondingly and so on, enable its member-countries to make uniformly their defense equipment as much in weapon systems as in their corresponding spare parts.
In addition, the EU, for reasons of international competition, will must oblige its members so that 65%-70% (the percentage is indicative) of their defense equipment to come from the European defense industry and the remaining percentage to come from third countries outside the EU;
and if it is proved that the chosen weapon system is better than the corresponding European weapon system or if there is no equivalent European defense weapon.
The merged companies in one company will have to disseminate the construction and production of projects/weapon systems that they will undertake in all EU member countries, in order each member-country to have economic benefits (e.g. contributing to the increase of the annual GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of each member-country) and contributing to the reduction of unemployment in all its member countries.
In this way the European defense industry of each member country will be merged into one or maximum two European companies per defense sector without abolishing the defense industries of each member country.
For each weapon-related project, its total output will be defined and if it has specific characteristics due to the member-country that will use it, then that weapon system, either in its entirety or part thereof, can be produced in the member-country of EU that wants to use it.
For example, other features/usage has a surface or submarine vessel to be used for closed seas and other features when it is used for open seas and oceans.
The negative aspect of the CFSS Treaty is that the large number of projects required to move forward will must be based on the unanimous decision of all EU members, creating problems both in selecting projects and integrating them.
In this case, if commonly accepted rules (examples of which are listed above) have been put in place by all EU member-countries, which rules will disseminate the benefits of producing works and armaments to all its member countries, decisions will then be taken by the EU Commission on the recommendation of its Commissioner responsible for European Defense and Security.
The contributions to the EU Commissioner responsible for Defense and Security will have to be made by the Chief of Staff of EU Defense Forces (Chief of European Union Military Committee-CEUMC) on the basis of specific defensive criteria that have to be reported in their contributions/reports by the relevant defensive bodies of each member-country.
Like the Chief of Staff of the Defense Forces/Army of each member country, whose recommendations will consider the specificities and the repousse of the under-surveillance territory which has in under control the Defense Forces of each EU member-country.
These suggestions will be made by the appropriate defense bodies of each EU member country (from the Chief of Staff of Defense Forces of each member-country) to the CEUMC (Chief of European Union Military Committee) of EU Defense Forces.
Subsequently, the CEUMC (Chief of Staff of EU Defense Forces), in cooperation with his staff and the Chief-of-Staff of the Defense Forces of each member country, as well as with the other Chiefs-of-Staff of Defense Forces of the other EU member-countries, if it is required and depending the respective risks which are faced by each member country, will also define the numbers of weapons systems and their production and the subsequent use of them.
The Chief of European Union Military Committee (CEUMC) of EU Defense Forces and the senior officers who will comprise his headquarters and the operational headquarters will must come from the elite of the European Defense Forces/Armies officers of the EU member-countries and not only.
They will be fully aware of the peculiarities and the repousse of both the potential battlefields of their member countries from which they originate and the respective peculiarities and reliefs of the whole territory of the EU.
But in what European Defense Forces will lead this CEUMC of EU Defense Forces?
Here we must develop with arguments and outline a plan for a European Defense Forces/Army that is different from the Defense Forces/Army proposed by the Commission and the EU in general.
The EU is proposed the EU Defense Forces/Army to be composed as a co-operation between all Defense Forces/Armies of the EU member-countries.
How will must the EU defense forces be properly organized?
In Liberal’s Globe opinion, the EU having first and foremost has agreed and formulated:
A. An operational headquarters for the battle units of the European Defense Forces/Armies,
B. and a logistics platform of operations
The EU will must create:
A main army corps which will form the groundwork and the foundation stone around which the entire European Army/Defense Forces will be built around it.
This main army corps will be the army corps of the European Legionnaires and will have as an exemplar the army corps of the USA Marines.
This army corps of European Legionnaires will consist of:
a) Soldiers who will come from all the nationalities of the EU member-countries. They will sign contracts of five (5) years duration with this army corps.
b) Officers and non-commissioned officers who will also come from all the nationalities of the EU member-countries.
The officers of this army corps who will already be officers in the armies of the EU member-countries will have to follow full-time studies in the Supreme Military Faculty of EU Officers (maximum study duration two (2) years) and in addition to the study that they had followed in the Supreme Military Faculties of the member-country which they belong.
In case that the EU citizen and candidate officer of this army corps of European Legionnaires is not an officer in the army of the member-country of his origin, he must follow full-time studies of five (5) years duration in the specific Supreme Military Faculty of EU Officers.
After his graduation he will be able to follow a permanent career in the army corps of European Legionnaires (and until completing a minimum years of wage service in this army corps).
On the other hand, the officers that will want to serve in the services of this army corps and they will be already military officers in the armies of the member-countries of their origin, they will sign a contract of seven years wage duration (with option to renew it or not and for both sides) to serve in the army corps of European Legionnaires.
According to the above, the EU will also must create:
1) A Supreme Military Faculty of Officers for the total of the officers that will serve in the army corps of European Legionnaires (maximum study duration five (5) years)
2) A Supreme Military Faculty of Non-Commissioned Officers for the total of the non-commissioned officers that will serve in the army corps of the European Legionnaires (maximum study duration two (2) years).
The Non-commissioned Officers that will already serve as Non-commissioned officers in the armies of the member-countries of their origin, will serve in this Supreme Military Faculty one and only one (1) year.
But if they are not already Non-commissioned Officers, these EU citizens and candidates of Non-commissioned Officers will serve maximum two (2) years.
After their graduation will follow a permanent career in the army corps of the European Legionnaires (until they complete a minimum threshold year of service in this corps).
As much the soldiers as the Officers and the Non-commissioned Officers of the army corps of European Legionnaires will must have the best and tougher military training.
Similarly, they must have the best specialized combat equipment which will exist in the planet and through their training will must acquire a common military strategy and culture equally.
The problem of multi-lingual which will existed in this army corps can be solve and given that during the courses of their studies and training as during their service they can be taught at least one European language.
On the other hand, during the combat operations they will be able to use instant translation software within their intercommunication equipment.
In addition, the corps of the European Legionnaires will have the best advanced equipment in technology terms like in armored battle tanks, attacking helicopters, fighting and bombardment jets, anti-aircraft systems and advanced artillery etc. for their battle support.
The army corps of the European Legionnaires will use high-tech communication systems, high quality apparel and clothing, specialized armor and consumables.
In addition, the EU will have to develop,
3) An army corps of war consumables and logistics for the better and most possible full support of the army corps of European Legionnaires
4) An army corps of nursing and medical hospitalization of the European Legionnaires
5) An air and naval transport corps with aim to continual provide the necessary logistics to the European Legionnaires corps for which will be closely associated with airborne missions as much with helicopters as with airplanes and naval ships.
6) A Command of Special War which will interconnect all the sectors of special forces under one command and this command will be reported directly to the CEUMC (Chief of European Union Military Committee) of the EU Defense Forces.
In this supreme command will be included all the commands of the total of the human personnel/troops of the Special Forces of the European Legionnaires corps, like:
a) Special units/brigades of Rangers and Paratroopers.
b) Special units/brigades of Amphibious/Underwater Destructions Rangers/Regiments
c) Special units/brigades of Search and Rescue operations
d) Airborne Cavalry Divisions of High Preparedness
For these units, the goal will be to develop in the shortest possible time in any region and theater of operation of EU and always in the crisis area so that to be in position to support directly the national armies of the member-countries of EU.
7) All special forces training schools and maverick war training schools will must be upgraded in the total of the EU member-countries and for three guns/corps (Navy, Air-Force, Army).
In addition, it will must be created corresponding special forces training and maverick war schools equally for the total of the European Legionnaires special forces.
8) The EU will must be created a Federal type Intelligent Service at EU level as much for the internal security as for the external security (i.e. EU could transform the Europol in law enforcement body for the whole of internal territory of EU, like FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation in USA)).
9) The EU will have to launch (that is the biggest challenge) the creation of the national anthem of EU which will be consisted from words that will be common in the vocabularies of the national languages of the EU member-countries.
In its total this national anthem will praised the history, the culture, the battles and exertions as well the origin of the European people who all together consist in general terms the European nation.
In this anthem they will swear at least the European Legionnaires corps and the total of the EU Defense Forces as well as the officials and civil servants of the EU-Commission.
The European Legionnaires corps and the total of the EU Defense Forces will have the best apparel and equipment and will have on their battle uniforms only the flag of EU.
Additionally, the European Parliament will must vote and notice on the EU Constitution, through their votes, that the borders of EU will must be defended in their total as much from the citizens as from the total of the Defense Forces of the EU member-countries.
10) The EU Air-Force and the corresponding EU Navy will be built around this European Legionnaires corps.
11) The CEUMC (Chief of European Union Military Committee) of EU Defense Forces will have in his jurisdiction the suitcase with their codes of the nuclear weapons and this suitcase will always escort the President of EU.
This means that will must be created an army corps in the European Defense Forces/Army that will be responsible for the design, evolution, production and managing of the whole nuclear weapons which are in the proprietary of EU and NATO, which nuclear weapons are based in their total in the EU member-countries.
12) In that case the national Defense Forces/Armies of the EU member-countries will be able to operate supportively as highly trained and best equipped European national guard in the corresponding EU member-countries.
It will have to be uniformity in the military equipment and the apparel/clothing in the total of national armies of the EU member-countries.
The battle clothing of the national armies of the EU member-countries will must be the same with the battle clothing of the European Legionnaires corps.
13) The corps of the European Legionnaires will be that which will be undertake military operations in abroad on behalf of EU.
Why will must be created this army corps of European Legionnaires so that to be the basis of the EU Defense Forces/Army?
The fact that this army corps of European Legionnaires will consist of all the nationalities of the EU member-countries will act as a unifying link and a bond of blood (brotherhood) for those serving in this army corps but also for all EU member-countries.
Since fellow citizens and co-nationals of all EU member-countries will participate in the classes of this army corps.
All the peoples of the EU will be interested in what is to come to the soldiers of this army corps, as the existence of any injured and dead will awaken them and unite them.
The motto and slogan that will exist among the co-warriors and members of the European Legionnaires corps “all for one and one for all” will be transposed and applied in the long run among the peoples of the EU member-countries.
The servicemen and servicewomen equally in this army corps will in future be able to reach the highest political and military hierarchy of the EU and act as “guards” and defenders of the EU’s territories and peoples.
If the EU sets up a coordinating and only an operational headquarters to coordinate among them the national defense forces/armies of the EU member-countries, will sets up a European army ala cart.
Where in cases of war and military operations both domestically and abroad, only the people as well as the member-countries that involved in battles with their armies will directly concerned, and the rest will be sit and continue their lives un-participated.
When there are cases of defeat and failure in combat operations, then the member countries will cast responsibility on each other by sowing discord in EU member-countries.
The Defense Forces of the northern EU peoples cannot fight in the north pole, the northern sea and the northern borders of the EU, and the armies of the southern EU member-countries to sunbathing on the beaches and vice versa.
The mere fact that will always must have all EU Defense Forces/Armies is to be ready to defend the EU’s territories regardless of where the danger lies, and regardless of where and when the EU’s border is exposed.
This fact alone it will discourage any assailant enemy and intruder.
But a major challenge is to finance this large-scale project whose funding will must not burden the budgets of the EU member-countries but at the same time to maximize the achievement of this goal while increasing, inter alia, the overall EU GDP and its member countries.
This will be answered in another article.
Thanos S. Chonthrogiannis
It is forbidden by the law of intellectual property in any way unlawful use/appropriation of the present article, with severe civil and criminal sanctions for the offender.
