Report on Allied Contributions to the Common Defense
A Report to the United States Congress by the Secretary of Defense

U.S. Department of Defense

U.S. Government

March 1999

 

Introduction

 

Purpose

This Report presents the Department of Defense assessment of the relative contributions toward common defense and mutual security made by our NATO allies, our key partners in the Pacific (Japan and the Republic of Korea), and the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). This report responds to the requirements set forth in the Strom Thurmond National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999 (P.L. 105–261), Title XII, Section 1233, Defense Burdensharing, paragraphs a–c. Additionally, this Report covers burdensharing reporting requirements set forth in the Department of Defense Military Construction Appropriations Act (P.L. 105–237), Section 119.

In its discussion of“Legislative Provisions Adopted” in the Strom Thurmond Act, Congress directed the Secretary to provide a Report to Congress on“National Security Bases for Forward Deployment and Burdensharing Relationships.” The baseline legislation for this requirement is the FY1997 National Defense Authorization Act, Title X, Section 1084. In that provision, Congress requests an analysis of forward deployment options, and related force structures and costs (paragraphs c–e). Such information is beyond the scope of this Report, but readers are advised that the information is available in more comprehensive departmental reports. These include the National Defense University’s 1998 Strategic Assessment (on alternative basing options and related force structures); and in the Department of Defense OP–53 Exhibit, Defense Overseas Funding, which addresses DOD worldwide overseas costs.

Under legislative provisions dating to the Defense Authorization Act of 1981 (P.L. 96–342, Section 1006), the Department of Defense is required to compare the defense burdens borne by our allies, explain disparities, and describe efforts to eliminate such disparities. For the last three years, beginning with the FY 1997 Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 104–201), Congress has recognized that there are multiple and diverse ways in which allies may share the responsibility for achieving mutual security objectives. This represents a major step toward embracing the Administration’s policy on responsibility sharing, first set forth in the 1994 edition of this Report. We look forward to continuing to work with the Congress in structuring a comprehensive and balanced framework within which to evaluate allied contributions to common defense and mutual security.

 

Organization of this Report

This Report is organized into three chapters and a comprehensive data annex. The first chapter presents an executive summary, describing the goals of U.S. responsibility sharing policy and providing a brief assessment of country contributions for 1997–1998. Chapter II provides a regional perspective of U.S. security interests and highlights the contributions of key allies. Chapter III follows with detailed assessments of country efforts.

Additional information is provided in the Annex, which contains sources and notes, summarizes responsibility sharing contributions on a country–by–country basis, and provides an array of supporting statistics.