ABSTRACT
Benelux military reform through increased intra-Benelux and intra-Alliance cooperation or coordination can be considered in terms of both current or narrowly defined cooperation and the longer-term opportunities which are potential areas of cooperation and coordination. The Benelux Military Accord provides the institutional framework within which most military cooperation occurs. As Belgium has full sufficiency in military air transport, the Netherlands, which lacks adequate airlift capacity, can contract for Belgian assistance during operational training exercises. The military incentives for the series of intra-Benelux security reforms are the important contribution to deterrence and forward defense within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) alliance, the contribution to the national security of each nation individually, and the contribution to the general reform of NATO. The fragile domestic consensus in each Benelux nation on defense issues and security policy would be shattered by any attempt to shift significant financial resources from social welfare to military purposes, especially nuclear activities.
