Obama’S Damaging Blow To Our Military

[RandomProddy]

[quote name='Kia ora' timestamp='1326498212' post='2368569']
Most European militaries, all European militaries one might say, simply aren't built for wars. As an indicator of this, check out Germany's constitution. They only allow their military which is one of the most powerful in the continent to be deployed with UN authorisation or if someone makes war upon them and their NATO allies.[/quote]

Sort of. The thing you really have to look at is the "big-ticket" items and assets that give you long-distance punch (like AWACS/Tanker&Transport aircraft/Nuclear submarines/carriers etc...).Whilst, on paper, the european armies have a lot of people in uniform (about 1.5 - 2 million) most european forces have little-to-no long-range assets.

[quote]As a result, they lack the inclination to build up a military that allows them to engage in high intensity warfare. [/quote]

Germany has more than 200,000 people in it's armed forces and would struggle to operate 10,000 in a different continent for any significant length of time. European armies are designed to fight on (or near) home soil - that they can do quite well. The UK (and France to a certain extent) are the exception - even then though, there isn't much slack in the system.