Report on Allied Contributions to the Common Defense 1997: Introduction

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

March 1997

Introduction

Purpose

This Report presents the Department of Defense assessment of the relative contributions toward common defense and mutual security made by the NATO nations (including the United States), our key allies in the Pacific (Japan and the Republic of Korea), and the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

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 the United States and our allies, explain disparities, and describe efforts to eliminate such disparities. The Defense Authorization Act of 1997 (P.L. 104–201, Section 1084) updates the earlier reporting requirement by recognizing that there are multiple and diverse ways in which allies may share the responsibility for mutual security objectives. This represents a major step toward embracing the Administration’s policy on responsibility sharing, first articulated 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. 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 1995–1996. Chapter II provides a regional perspective of U.S. security interests and highlights the contributions of our key allies. Chapter III follows with detailed assessments of country contributions in each of the categories stipulated by the FY 1997 Defense Authorization Act.

Additional information is provided in the annex, which contains data sources and notes, and provides summary information for responsibility sharing contributions on a country–by–country basis.