Europe´s defence force

The issue of the so-called European Rapid Reaction force or “European Army” is back on the agenda in the light of the recent developments in Afghanistan. The need for this European force has allegedly come about because sizeable numbers of troops are allegedly needed in Afghanistan. But what European generals know and what Europe's political leaders must also realise is that it is nothing more than a paper army, and is badly equipped and lacks the necessary fire-power to even operate in a minor conflict. The European armed services have been cut back to the bone and these days it is not a question of the United States having more it is a question of them just having far superior equipment which is light years ahead of what is available in Europe. The United States has stealth bombers, invisible to radar already in service, Europe is still awaiting the Eurofighter which has been on the drawing board for the last two decades. Even a layman can see the difference in equipment between the British troops in Afghanistan and their U.S. counterparts. If you take away their rifles the Royal Marines guarding Kabul airport could be reminiscent of a scene from the 1940s. If Europe wants an army then each member state must increase the size of its defence budget and start ordering some of the kit presently available to the U.S. armed services. Otherwise the European Force will be a paper army badly equipped and under-funded and unable to contribute much to the new high technology battle-field. Already there is a Europe-wide arguement about the European force an almost laughable state of affairs when you consider the quality of Europe's kit.