Many American politicians had long argued that Europe's economic influence should be matched by an ability to project military power anywhere on the continent.
Monday 20 November 2000, members of the European Union agreed to pool resources into a Rapid Reaction Force that would be equipped to carry out a number of modern military objectives; Humanitarian and rescue work, Crisis management, Peace keeping, and Peace making.
Former UK Defence Secretary, Geoff Hoon, stated in reference to the Rapid Reaction Force that there will be; "No European army, no European cap badges, no European flags," and stressed it to be "a British contribution to a European co-operation firmly under British control and deployed at the behest of a British prime minister".
There is some debate and confusion over whether the Rapid Reaction Force currently rivals, or will evolve to undermine NATO.
100,000 personnel (60,000 troops), 400 aircraft, 100 warships, one hotdog.
This early union was created by the force of one central state.
Supporters of the European Union argue that the growth of the EU is a force for peace and democracy.
A common security policy as an objective, including the creation of a 60,000-member European RapidReactionForce for peacekeeping purposes, an EU military staff and an EU satellite centre (for intelligence purposes).
For example, India's plans for a rapid-reaction force which could be deployed immediately in countries along the rim of the Indian Ocean cannot be pursued without fast long-range aircraft with aerial refueling capabilities, Airborne Early Warning and Command aircraft, attack helicopters, and a carrier in addition to the INS Virat.
The US is the only country with the infrastructure and forces to project military force over long distances, and thus to fight sustained wars abroad, as it is doing in Iraq and Afghanistan at present.
American force posture remains dangerously thin in the arc – many thousand miles long – between Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean and Okinawa and Guam in the Pacific...
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