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EU Battlegroup

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The European Union battle groups is a project done in the context of the European Security and Defence Policy, its aim being the creation of several rapidly deployable units for international intervention and tasks reaching up to full-combat situations. Confusingly, the EU Battlegroups are to be deployable more rapidly and for shorter periods than the long-planned European Rapid Reaction Force.

A battle group is considered to be the smallest self-sufficient military unit that can be deployed and sustained in a theater of operation. Each battle group will be composed of 1500 combat soldiers plus support. It is desired that each battle group should be ready for launch in 10 days from command, and be in the theater of operations in 15 days. It must be sustainable for at least 30 days, which could be extended to 120 days with rotation.

Background

Under the Headline Goal 2010 [1], adopted by EU defence ministers in Brussels in May 2004, six or seven such groups ought to be ready for operation by the year 2007, though the first few battle groups might be ready much sooner, by the year 2005. In 22 November, 2004, defence ministers met again in Brussels to announce their contributions, and the formation of thirteen such groups were announced.

Contributions

Larger member states will generally contribute their own battle groups, while smaller members are expected to create common groups. The fifteen battle groups planned to be formed (two more were announced in addition to the original thirteen on 22 November 2005) will be composed by troops of the following nationalities:

Estonia originally only indicated its willingness to participate and stated it would continue consultations; on 23 May 2005, Estonia announced it would officially participate in the Nordic battle group lead by Sweden. In February 2006, the Republic of Ireland's Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea announced that the Irish government would open talks on joining. Denmark has similary an opt-out clause in its accession treaty and is not obliged to participate in the common defence policy. Also Malta currently does not participate in any battle group.

Each group will have a 'lead nation' or 'framework nation' which will take operational command, based on the model set up during the EU's peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Operation Artemis). Each group will also be associated with a headquarter.

Some further details concerning the specific contributions include the following:

  • Sweden and Finland announced the creation of a joint Nordic Nordic Battlegroup. To make up the required 1500 number, they also urged Norway to contribute in the battle group. Even though Norway is not an EU member, it indicated interest in partaking in such defence projects. Recently however Norwegian legal experts have called into question the constitutionality of such participation.
  • Prime Minister Tony Blair of the United Kingdom, while travelling in Africa, stated that UK is ready to commit 1500 troops for the creation of a battle group, saying that Africa may in the future not be able to handle all crises, and in such cases international intervention will be required.
  • Lithuania is expected to offer experts in water purification.
  • Greece is pledging troops with maritime transport skills.

The battle groups project is not to be confused with the European Rapid Reaction Force which concerns up to 60,000 soldiers, deployable for at least a year, and take one to two months to deploy. The battle groups are instead meant for more rapid and shorter deployment in international crises, probably preparing the ground for a larger and more traditional force to replace them in due time.

See also

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