ABSTRACT
Given the dramatic defence spending cuts occurring on both side of the Atlantic, the time would seem ripe for greater transatlantic cooperation in operational energy security – that is, the energy necessary to train for, deploy to, conduct, and redeploy from combat operations. However, with few exceptions, the prospects for greater cooperation in this area – in terms of common strategies, plans, doctrine, materiel and training, for example – appear quite low. Europe remains hobbled by institutional, organisational, and fiscal limitations, while the USA – largely for cultural reasons – struggles to overcome an episodic commitment to energy security.
