Foreign Military Bases in Eurasia

Summary:

The basing of military forces on foreign territory, at locations leased from or co-occupied with the local authorities (or, rarely, held extraterritorially), is a practice almost as old as warfare itself. Bases can have an economic, political or demonstrative rationale but in all periods their pattern has been linked with the strategic dictates and relationships of the time. Observing changes in the way they are placed, owned and used can provide many clues to the most significant trends of security evolution. This Policy Paper examines what has been happening in basing practices in Eurasia since the end of the cold war.

This Policy Paper tells the story of Euro-Asian basing changes in meticulous detail, bringing together a collection of facts and lessons that has not been easily accessible in one place before. The conclusions raise interesting questions about the rationality and viability of current basing strategies, hinting that further changes might be in store as a result of global policy reassessment by future US administrations and further shifts in political relationships and the nature of regimes in the post-Soviet sphere. This Policy Paper should be of equal value to military and political observers and to those interested in tracking the strategies of the major powers.

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