The 'enemy' at the gates? Assessing the European military contribution to the Libyan war
Year: 2011
Type: article
Abstract: According to the ‘Defense Strategic Guidance’ (2012), the growing military capabilities of US allies will create new opportunities for sharing responsibilities in world
affairs. The US strategic document considers the recent military operation in Libya a
successful example in terms of burden sharing. The paper aims to assess the validity of
such perspective, analyzing the concrete military contribution provided by the most
relevant European counties involved in the intervention: UK, France and Italy.
The NATO military mission has triggered a controversial debate in International
Security Studies (ISS). Three months after the end of operations, it is possible to provide a
strategic and military overview of the intervention. What are the key results and lessons
learnt of the mission? What have been the shortfalls? What has been the role played by
European armed forces (and by the EU defense policy)? Can ‘Unified Protector’ be
considered a success in terms of burden sharing?
Through the analysis of primary (official documents) and secondary sources
(especially ISS literature), the article aims at answering these questions. After illustrating
the current debate over the operation and how Libyan campaign represents the most
recent evolution of contemporary military operations, the paper critically examines the
crucial features of ‘Unified Protector’. The preliminary results of the analysis reject the
Strategic Guidance’s optimism on European military capabilities, emphasize shortages,
problems and a massive dependence on US assets.
Author: Fabrizio Coticchia
Language: English
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W2188751667