Pentagon Report on International Security Cooperation

March 1, 2018 12:15 PM

The following is the February 2018 Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 President’s Budget Security Cooperation Consolidated Budget Display.

From the Report:

Security cooperation tools, when used strategically, are a powerful means to help the Department of Defense (DoD) advance its mission of defending the homeland, building security globally, and projecting power while preparing to win decisively against any adversary, should deterrence fail. Security cooperation is a force multiplier for the Department of Defense, developing and fostering a network of partners and allies, as well as improving the effectiveness of those partnerships. Ultimately, security cooperation funds improve the Department’s ability to promote global security and achieve strategic ends in a cost-effective manner by supporting programs that enable partner nations to contribute to global security.

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 defines security cooperation as “any program, activity (including an exercise), or interaction of the Department of Defense with the security establishment of a foreign country to achieve a purpose as follows:

  • To build and develop allied and friendly security capabilities for self-defense and multinational operations.
  • To provide the armed forces with access to the foreign country during peacetime or a contingency operation.
  • To build relationships that promote specific United States security interests.” The 2018 National Defense Strategy (NDS) serves as the preeminent guide for the employment of security cooperation along three lines of effort: to build a more lethal force; to reform the Department for greater performance and affordability; and to strengthen alliances and attract new partners.
  • The strategic framework of the NDS invests in a more lethal, resilient and agile Joint Force – bolstered by a robust network of allies and partners – to deter or defeat aggression by major powers across all domains and levels of conflict.

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