Polish ideas to stimulate battlegroups

(BRUSSELS2 to Warsaw) “ Stimulate the battlegroup, with some ideas This is the objective of the Polish presidency of the EU by organizing a seminar on the subject on Tuesday in Brussels. Several ideas could be evoked which do not lead to change the concept of the battlegroup but to improve it in a practical way. A new look battlegroup in a way.

« It's an important subject — explained an official of the Polish EU Presidency —. Battlegroups are currently not working. If we can make them more operational, that's better. »

A civilian component

Initially, the Poles wanted to develop the idea of ​​a battlegroup that would have extensive capabilities. A bit like the Nordic battlegroup, a “ good example of how to conduct operations widely ". This idea has now evolved. And the Polish idea is now rather to manage to endow the battlegroups with a small capacity for civil action. It is not a question of transforming the battlegroup into a civilian force but of having within the battlegroup, a " small component (about ten people, for example), making it possible to interface with the civilian elements” who might otherwise be involved, as one expert on these issues explained to B2. The objective being to implant this small civil-military cell during the battlegroup of Weimar which is permanent in 2013.

Extend the duration of permanence or specialize them

Another idea: why not extend the period of permanence of the battlegroups. " We could leave to the member states of the group the possibility of extending the duration by at least one year ". Which, by the way, would solve the two "holes" that appear in the schedule of the battlegroups. The way in which the forces are constituted could also be improved, by specializing the two duty battlegroups, for example one on high intensity combat, the other on stabilization. The question of the financing of their commitment should also be examined...

Whatever the improvements, the objective remains to make these groupings more attractive so that politicians are more tempted to use them than to let them run around in circles in their barracks. And, “to make them attractive to politicians, you have to make them more flexible and usable ". " If we don't use them - explains a military expert - there is a real risk of seeing this tool fall into disuse ».

The perfect example: Libya

The perfect use case for these new look battlegroups would be fairly complex situations, like Libya, where rapid intervention is required. When Gaddafi leaves, there may be a confused situation with a formal government but no real control of the situation on the ground, and therefore a real risk of insecurity and instability. Before the situation was taken in hand either by the Libyan authorities or by the establishment of an international force, during this intermediate period, " we will have to think, to support the new Libyan authority, to deploy a battlegroup explains a Polish official. " Some countries disagree. But we must at least study this option. »