UK Pulls out of EU-Battlegroup
 

Temporarily - but perhaps permanently depending on negotiations.

Britain pulls out of EU defense force

LONDON — The U.K. has withdrawn its offer to lead a battle-ready EU military force after Brexit, the first concrete example of the impact of the country’s EU exit on European defense cooperation. In a letter obtained by POLITICO, the U.K. informed the chairman of the EU military committee last Wednesday that it would no longer be the lead nation in a 1,500-strong “battlegroup” for EU defense in 2019 because of ongoing uncertainty over Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union......

A number of EU military powers take it in turns to provide the bulk of the troops for the so-called EU battlegroup, a force established as part of a broader push to give the EU more military clout. No battlegroup has yet deployed to a crisis zone, but they are ready if called upon. Britain was due to take over responsibility for providing the battle-ready force in the second six months of 2019, during the Brexit transition period. The U.K.’s decision to withdraw from the roster of EU countries offering to lead battlegroups is likely to spark concern on the Continent that London’s commitment to European security is now also uncertain, despite May’s repeated reassurance that this is not the case.

‘Clarity of purpose’

In the letter informing Brussels of the U.K.’s decision, Britain’s Lieutenant General George Norton said the decision to withdraw from the program was because of the logistical problems caused by Brexit, and insisted Britain could still remain part of the program further down the line if a political agreement could be struck. Writing to General Mikhail Kostarakos, chairman of the EU military committee, Norton said the U.K. is prepared to offer a battlegroup for the EU rota in future once the Brexit uncertainty had been cleared. He added the U.K.’s offer had always been “provisional.” Norton said that while Britain’s withdrawal had been under discussion since September last year, it was important to clarify the decision to give the EU time to prepare.

“Military activities, however, require clarity of purpose, and planning; not least of which involves the time that is necessary to force generate credible capabilities,” the letter states. “The U.K. believes that, for the practical purposes of the time needed for the EU and member states to identify and assign a stand-by battlegroup for the second half of 2019, a decision should not be delayed. Consequently we formally withdraw our provisional offer of a battlegroup for the period 2019-20.” The letter goes on: “Our prime minister’s unconditional commitment to European security of course stands, but the offer of a battlegroup in the period immediately following our exit strikes us an unnecessary complication”.

Any decision to deploy the battlegroup would be made by EU leaders at the European Council, which Britain will leave in March 2019. However, all lead battlegroup countries retain a veto over deployment.

The U.K. is one of only a handful of EU countries capable of providing battlegroup headquarters.

Britain also currently leads the EU’s counter-piracy mission “Atlanta” off the coast of Somalia, commanding the operation out of Northwood military headquarters in Hertfordshire. France, Italy, Germany and Greece are the only other countries with national headquarters having sufficient capacity to command a European operation. The U.K., for example, is providing the headquarters for a Dutch/Belgian battlegroup in 2018.

London also plays an important role in Operation Sophia — the counter-smuggling operation in the Mediterranean that is commanded from Italian national headquarters — as well as stationing troops in Estonia to act as a deterrent to any military action by Russia.

Whether Britain continues its involvement in the EU battlegroup program after Brexit will depend on whether the U.K. can negotiate more involvement in decision-making and control of missions than is normally offered to third countries, U.K. officials said. If this proves impossible, officials say it is unlikely Britain will continue to take part in EU missions in the future.

Brex****, the gift that keeps on giving....:mad:

Keeps on saving.:ok:

More good news for Putin.

Thank goodness for that. Now perhaps we can go back to concentrating on NATO, which was doing a good job long before the EU ever even thought about a "Battle Group"

"A number of EU military powers take it in turns to provide the bulk of the troops for the so-called EU battlegroup, a force established as part of a broader push to give the EU more military clout. No battlegroup has yet deployed to a crisis zone, but they are ready if called upon".

Sums it up really. Completely agree Herod. How on earth is it more good news for Pukin? Jolly.

Paper Tiger.

NATO is the way to go if we are going down this route.

I am sure that some of this (and other threats of removal/retreat/reduction in various areas.....) is leverage in the background on the BREXIT stuff though by the Politicians too..............


Arc

Mostafa, Russia's aim is increasingly to divide and conquer.


Britain pulling out of leading a EU battle group means cracks in the alliance, which really cannot be bad news for Putin.

Some politicians have deliberately blurred the truth regarding our effective military alliance; either deliberately or out of ignorance. NATO and the EU are separate things entirely.

NATO did the job many years before the EU was even thought of and there is no reason to think it can't continue to do the same in the future.

Now we won't be part of the Catalonian invasion.

Arguably, setting up a competing structure with parallel CoC and potentially drawing on the same Orbat causes cracks in the first place. AS others have noted, NATO was set up to do the job properly in the first place.


Still, I look forward to advocates of NATO (in preference to the EU) being labelled as swivel-eyed little atlanticist Trumpophones (copyright NaB 2018) in the near future!

Completely agree with that statement Bof. But you missed out the bigot bit.

Probably the same folks who complain that Europe does not do enough for its own defence and relies too heavily on the NATO (read, the US) are the same folks who are here deriding the EU Battle Groups. Damned if they do, damned if they don't.

Brexit is indeed the gift that keeps on giving... Berlin Security Conference 2017: UK to lose European defence decision-making powers after Brexit | Jane's 360

I think it says it all when Mr Juncker sends his congratulations to Mr Pukin on his victory in the polls as reported today!!

I'm pro-EU and voted to remain but the facts that leech out about the various EU defence pacts make it very easy for Brexiteers.

28 countries in the EU, 4-5 doing the majority of the donkey work.

There's a difference between bringing extra money/force structure to the party (welcome) and diluting effort/effect by dual-hatting/duplicating existing arrangements, without bringing extra money (less welcome) and duplicating CoC (even less welcome).


Which category do you think the "EU Battlegroup" fits into? Especially given that "only a handful" of EU nations can provide battlegroup HQ.

MelM
A little disingenuous. The US's calls for NATO's European states to do more is just that. Unfortunately, that rallying cry has had very little impact (see lack of German defence spending etc).

And in your link, 'Europe' is used as a short-hand for 'the European Union'. Of course we will lose power within EU decision-making bodies.

Given that there is no prospect of NATO's European states substantially increasing defence spending/capacity, and the neutrality of several of the EU member states, the EU's BG will only ever come from the same ORBAT that should support NATO.

Meanwhile, the BBC (6 o'clock news on BBCR4) reported that it was the EU Commission who asked UK to withdraw from this commitment.

Regards
Batco

How big is the AIR COMPONENT of the Battle Group?

^^^^THIS^^^^

Let the bargaining for Brexit begin!