NATO's Reinforcement Capability | 1988 | Publications

NATO's Reinforcement Capability

Barry R. Posen

Defense Analysis Vol. 5, No. 4 (1989) [ Also published in Naval Forces Vol. 3, No. 11]

Open source discussions of NATO's current reinforcement capabilities are sparse, and often tinged with pessimism. This pessimism arises both from doubts about the sufficiency of NATO's air and sea transport capabilities, and fears of a successful Soviet interdiction. Here I intend mainly to discuss the first question - What is the capability to move the requisite cargos in a relatively speedy fashion. A close examination of available sources suggests that NATO is well placed to manage this reinforcement effort.