As we bring our combat mission toa conclusion after 13 years, we should all be veryproud of what our alliancehas accomplished. Members of the International Security AssistanceForce,especially smaller nations, have greatly benefited from the experience oftraining andworking alongside other partners in Afghanistan. We must continueto hone the capabilitieswe’ve fielded and sustain these deep and effectivedefense relationships. And NATO mustcontinue to develop innovative ways tomaintain alliance readiness as we apply our hard-earnedskills to new securitychallenges.
In reviewing U.S. defensepriorities tempered by our fiscal realities, it’s clear that ourmilitary mustplace an even greater strategic emphasis on working with our allies andpartnersaround the world. That will be a key theme of the Department ofDefense’s upcomingQuadrennial Defense Review which will articulate our defensestrategy in a changing securityand fiscal environment.
The United States will engageEuropean allies to collaborate more closely, especially inhelping build thecapabilities of other global partners. We’re developing strategies toaddressglobal threats as we build more joint capacity – joint capacity withEuropeanmilitaries. In the face of budget constraints here on this continent as well asin theUnited States, we must all invest more strategically to protect militarycapability and readiness.
The question is not just how muchwe spend, but how we spend together. It’s not justburdens we share, butopportunities as well. The Department of Defense will work closely withourallies’ different and individual strengths and capabilities, from the trainingof indigenousforces to more advanced combat missions. We’re looking atpromising new initiatives,including Germany’s framework nations concept, whichcould help NATO plan and invest moreefficiently and more effectively.
In Africa, the U.S. military andour European allies are already partners in combatingviolent extremism andworking alongside our diplomats to avert humanitarian catastrophes. InMali, inthe Central African Republic, the U.S. and European partners are providingspecializedenablers such as air transport and refueling. We’re there tosupport a leading operational rolefor French forces. The U.S. has supportedFrance’s leadership and efforts. And we also welcomethe German DefenseMinister von der Leyen’s recent proposal to increase Germanparticipation inboth countries.
All of us must work closelytogether with African nations in helping them build theirsecurity forces andinstitutions. A more collaborative approach to global securitychallenges willrequire more defense establishments to cooperate not just on theoperationallevel, but on the strategic level as well. We are working with two allies – theU.S.,UK, and Australia, building the three of us closer collaboration betweenour militaries across abroad range of areas from force development to forceposture.
For example, the United States ishelping the UK regenerate its aircraft carrier capability,which will enablemore integrated operation of our advanced F-35 fighters and morebroadlyenhance our shared ability to project power. And last year, an Australian armyofficerbecame the deputy commanding general of U.S. Army forces in thePacific. This is helpingconnect our forces more strategically with our alliesand partners in the regions.
We believe this collaborationoffers a model – a model for closer integration with otherallies and partners,including NATO as a whole, and it’ll influence U.S. strategic planningandfuture investments. Sustaining and enhancing these cooperative efforts willrequire sharedcommitment and shared investment on both sides of the Atlantic.That includes United Statescommitments to a strong military posture in Europe.
Since the end of the Cold War,the United States has continuously adjusted its defenseposture to newstrategic realities around the world. As our force structure draws downfollowingthe end of our longest war, there will be, there must be, adjustmentsin our posture to meetnew challenges. For example, to respond to elevatedthreats to our diplomatic facilities inNorth Africa and the Middle East, wehave partnered with Spain to position U.S. Marines inMoron, and we have putother forces throughout the region on heightened alert status. Theseforces notonly enable us to respond to crises or support ongoing operations, but theyalsoexpand our diplomatic options amid the recent violence in South Sudan. Therapidavailability of nearby forces allowed American diplomats to remain on theground and helpbroker a ceasefire.
An important posture enhancementis European missile defense in response to ballisticmissile threats from Iran.Over the last two days, I’ve been in Poland, where I reaffirmed theUnitedStates commitment to deploying missile defense architecture there. As you allknow,that’s part of Phase 3 of our European Phased Adaptive Approach.Yesterday afternoon, the USSDonald Cook departed the United States for Rota,Spain, where over the next two years she willbe joined by three additionalmissile defense-capable destroyers.
Despite fiscal constraints, thebudget that we will release next month fully protects ourinvestment inEuropean missile defense. Our commitment to Europe is unwavering. Ourvaluesand our interests remain aligned. Both principle and pragmatism secureourtransatlantic bonds.
In 1947, a time of widespreaddoubt about the continued value of the transatlanticpartnership, Henry Stimsonargued that America could, in his words, no sooner stand apart fromEurope thandesert every principle by which we claim to live. He helped persuadeAmericansthat, in his words, our policy toward the world – in that policy, “There is noplace forgrudging or limited participation… Foreign affairs are now our mostintimate domesticconcern.” Americans know well the wisdom in Stimson’swarning. We also know well theresponsibilities we shoulder in partnership withall of you.