The Security Cooperation Landscape in Europe

The U.S. European Command and its theater components work together with partner and allied security forces across the lifecycle of security cooperation—from planning to implementation, integration, and sustainment. Through the Offices of Defense Cooperation in each European capital, our team supports the development and execution of diverse security cooperation programs. We have broad experience helping increase partner capability and expanding capacity to mitigate shared security threats.

Booz Allen plays a key role in a range of critical regional security cooperation programs in Europe. Here are some key examples:

• We strengthen regional programs to enable integrated air and missile defense and maritime domain awareness in the Baltics. These solutions leverage low-cost, disruptive, and immersive technologies that are scalable, tailorable, and not reliant on expensive proprietary systems which become obsolete in a few short years.
• Our experts help multiple European allies and partners develop their cyber defense capabilities. The team’s work includes recruiting, training, and retaining top talent to build and defend critical networks and infrastructure. This protects not only U.S. technology embedded in increasingly complex weapons systems, but also shared coalition networks that support combined operations.
• As a U.S. strategic partner, we support the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. We’re helping Ukraine develop a national strategy and focus on areas such as supply chain and logistical coordination. In addition, we have played a key role in sustainment planning and capacity building. This is a critical priority, as Ukraine has received increasingly sophisticated equipment to address regional security threats.

Growing Russian and Chinese influences in Europe must be addressed by sustained U.S. security cooperation investment in that region. The need is accelerated by ongoing campaigns that use false and misleading information to shape opinion against the collective interests of the U.S. and its allies and partners in the region. Allies and partners must develop interoperable capabilities to counter mis- and disinformation designed to undermine regional cohesion.

Enhancing partners’ strategic communications capabilities by leveraging security cooperation programs such as the Counter Russia Influence Fund benefits U.S. strategic interests by combating malign influence and improving the resilience of alliance cohesion. U.S. security cooperation initiatives must continue to focus on combating hybrid threats in the information domain, in addition to investing in technological solutions for allied interoperability.

Booz Allen provides critical expertise to help clients counter malign influence operations. Our support includes:

• Preparing and leveraging assessment data that leverages existing information to allow clients to establish baselines more efficiently for media consumption, market analysis, and target audience analysis. This supports combined psychological operations and civil affairs activities.
• Designing bilateral and multilateral security cooperation programs to combat mis- and disinformation. For example, Booz Allen provided critical planning support to facilitate development of the Armed Forces Information Partnership (AFIP). AFIP is a multilateral security cooperation activity that invests in European partner public affairs, strategic communication, and information operations capabilities. We helped design AFIP programs that elevate positive public opinion of Western-oriented, civilian-controlled militaries and prepare partners to counter adversarial influences.

Our subject matter experts stand ready to support the organizations and headquarters that enable integrated partner resilience in Europe. We have a deep understanding of the threats and opportunities that shape regional security dynamics.

Moreover, our specialists have decades of experience planning and executing security cooperation activities. We work to ensure these programs fulfill their objectives of:

• Upholding U.S. national security policy to reinvigorate alliance and partnerships
• Building allied capability to deter regional aggression
• Decreasing dependence on the U.S. military

The United States serves as a global partner, and we’re here to help the U.S. be the partner of choice.

We provide practical support through organizations such as the Institute of Security Governance, part of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. We assist the institute in providing institutional capacity building, human resource management, logistical planning, coordination, and other functions essential to ready forces.