International Programs

The dramatic transformations in geopolitical and economic environments, rapid technological change, and evolving threats to the United States during the past decade bring a new level of complexity to naval forward presence, sea and area control, crisis response, and warfighting. The wide variety of regional, global, and technological threats we now face hold important values at risk. There has been a dramatic shift in focus from blue-water operations to littoral engagements and peace-keeping operations that require multinational forces. The success of the Navy and Marine Corps in accomplishing their missions and tasks in future asymmetrical battlespaces - especially in the chaos of the littorals — hinges on friends and allies. Coalition-building has therefore become a critical peacetime naval task.

Coalitions of U.S. Navy-Marine Corps forces and friendly nations provide valuable deterrence against regional and global aggressors. The more numerous and effective America's partners, the less likely important mutual interests are to be challenged. Thus, U.S. planning efforts and Navy international programs lay the groundwork for and facilitate integrating allied forces with U.S. military forces. Fundamental imperatives for an effective and efficient international program of navy-to-navy cooperation, training, and security assistance are clear:

· First, U.S. naval forces must form the foundation for multinational operations in peacetime by supporting broad spectrum foreign policy and regional security roles.

· Second, because allies, coalition partners, and friends will require our support wherever they lack needed capabilities to protect themselves, an ongoing program of international cooperation, coordination, planning, training, and exercises is necessary to reinforce U.S. treaty commitments and agreements.

Although constrained resources have made achieving these objectives more difficult, the Department of the Navy's international programs continue to emphasize the need for cooperation and collaboration with core U.S. allies and friends. The Navy's goal is to enable America to meet its demanding joint and international responsibilities in the most efficient manner, and to ensure the U.S. regional commanders' warfighting needs are satisfied.

As important indicators of America's tangible support, the Navy's international programs — principally security assistance and foreign military sales, technology transfer and security, cooperative programs, education and training, and non-strategic arms control compliance and implementation — demonstrate U.S. commitment to regional security and help to deter aggression. Strengthening America's friends reduces the need for active U.S. assistance or intervention and helps protect American servicemen and women should it become necessary to respond to a crisis or regional conflict. Providing allies or likely coalition partners with U.S. equipment, training, and logistics support — as well as taking best advantage of our allies' and partners' technologies and systems — improves interoperability and common infrastructures among the Armed Forces. Constant involvement with foreign militaries also increases our knowledge of likely operational scenarios, regional and local military-political priorities, and threats, and expands our crisis-response and warfighting capabilities — all of which are indispensable elements of a credible U.S. conventional deterrent. Ensuring total crisis-response and warfighting capabilities of future coalition forces will thus remain a vital U.S. objective.

International activities also reinforce intangible aspects of U.S. security relationships, promoting democratic principles and strengthening international ties that extend well beyond the purely military dimension. The Navy's international programs enhance U.S. security with effective diplomacy and promote democracy abroad. International Military Education and Training (IMET) programs expose allied participants to the U.S. military and the American way of life. The participants in these courses often advance to positions of national or military leadership, and exposure to democratic processes and institutions during their IMET courses can ultimately affect the political and strategic decisions in their countries.

Finally, the Navy's international programs bolster America's economic health and help sustain the U.S. defense industrial base. Foreign military and direct commercial sales keep production lines at economic levels of efficiency. Cooperative programs ensure that the United States has access to leading-edge technologies and systems of our allies and friends. Domestic benefits also accrue through expansion of our ability to take advantage of ongoing U.S. acquisition reform initiatives that promise lower costs and advanced commercial products that satisfy military needs, while at the same time enhancing the vital "two-way street" aspect of our links to our allies.