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Strategic Airlift & Sealift Planning (Operational Priorities)

Why has rapid strategic airlift and sealift re-emerged as decisive for NATO/EU deterrence and defence?

Strategic Airlift & Sealift Planning (Operational Priorities): The ability to rapidly deploy. Defence-finance analysis; 26-page sourced DFM PDF report.

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Original DFM publication · DFM Analysis report · 2026-01-03

The ability to rapidly deploy and sustain military forces over long distances has re-emerged as a decisive factor in NATO and EU defence planning. “Strategic Airlift & Sealift Planning” addresses the core problem of how to move large formations, heavy equipment, and critical supplies quickly to where they are needed, whether to reinforce an exposed ally or to respond to a crisis abroad.

In the wake of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, allied leaders acknowledged that without swift and large-scale military mobility, deterrence and defence commitments could ring hollow .

This analysis answers: Why has rapid strategic airlift and sealift re-emerged as decisive for NATO/EU deterrence and defence? How do force posture and command-and-control architectures enable rapid deployment of heavy formations? Which capability families and technology clusters (transport aircraft, sealift vessels) underpin military mobility? What structural bottlenecks and dependencies constrain allied strategic-transport capacity?

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Cover of the report Strategic Airlift & Sealift Planning (Operational Priorities) Full sourced report Strategic Airlift & Sealift Planning (Operational Priorities) 26-page PDF · immediate download · €499 View the report →

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Original DFM analysis

Strategic Airlift & Sealift Planning (Operational Priorities)

Type DFM Analysis report
Published 2026-01-03
Access free_public

The publication details above identify the source used for this public thread.

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What is Strategic Airlift & Sealift Planning (Operational Priorities)?

In the wake of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, allied leaders acknowledged that without swift and large-scale military mobility, deterrence and defence commitments could ring hollow .

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