If defence is adopting new models, it is because threats are also doing so. Even the most liberal of people know that states have the duty of safeguarding the security of their citizens and protecting their country’s interests whenever they are under threat. All the efforts and actions to achieve this are what we call defence. The capacity and ability of this duty can be attained in keeping with the budget that is annually earmarked for defence.
Ignoring the danger and forgetting about it does not make it go away, but rather the contrary.
In periods of budget restrictions, it is easy to get carried away by cutting back on the funding for a department that does not seem to be socially necessary at first sight. If we don’t feel we are clearly threatened by an external enemy, why not generate savings? The truth of the matter is that ignoring the danger and forgetting about it does not make it go away, but rather the contrary. Viewing ourselves as vulnerable makes us easier prey for those with the intention of causing harm and thus strengthens the threat.
The threats faced by Western countries have changed considerably over the past century. These threats now flourish in unstable countries, are financed by perverse interests and are materialised through guerrilla warfare anywhere and at any time. The defence response therefore has to adapt and should be proportional. The worst thing about a war or guerrilla warfare is the suffering it causes to innocent people. The victims among people in any remote corner of the world, who only want to live in peace, are just as important as they are in our own backyard.
The fact that the threat can strike us anywhere in the world obliges us to have the logistical capability to deploy defence forces effectively. Operational procedures and weapons should be developed to be efficient and accurate. We have to make sure that what we have is what we need and that it will serve to fulfil its mission and avoid harming those who are not involved in the conflict, even though they have the misfortune of living near it.
Logistical means, unmanned systems (popularly known as drones) and precision munitions should be given priority in modern defence. Defence operations should be used intelligently, focusing them solely on the mission and only acting within the necessary scope. The duty of defence should be fulfilled in accordance with the international obligations it involves; carrying it out professionally with no other option than being prepared and ready to act, while avoiding harm to innocent people. In fact, defending its citizens is the primary responsibility of the state.
