The Technology Gap in Transatlantic Relations: A Cause of Tension or a Tool of Cooperation?

Although the 2003 crisis between Europe and the US seems to be over, the future of the transatlantic alliance still depends on the allies’ ability to strike a new bargain. To be successful, such a new bargain must prove able to exploit the asymmetries of the alliance. In this respect, the approach to military innovation in Europe and the US might be a major opportunity, as well as a liability: in fact, while the US spent the past 15 years trying to implement what was originally labeled as “Revolution in Military Affairs”, most European states proved much more reluctant to embark in a serious process of transformation. The result is the so-called technology gap – the purported European backwardness in military technology vis-à-vis the United States. According to the mainstream literature, to strike a new bargain, Europe will have to catch up with the US in order to make the alliance more balanced. On the contrary, I will argue that not only the reasons to bridge the gap may be dismissed, but also that a degree of asymmetry in military technology might be in the alliance’s interest – namely, by creating a sort of specialization between the two shores of the Atlantic. In order to support my argument, I will first provide a description of the technology gap. Then, I will then consider its implications by the light of the war in Kosovo. Finally, I will discuss the rationale for bridging the gap providing a list of counter-arguments.