When Military Interventions Decrease Military Power. Evidence from the French Case

Military interventions create dilemmas for military organizations which must balance security-related tasks (such as peacekeeping or crisis management operations) and defense-related tasks involving deterrence and the preparation for high-intensity operations. This article specifically examines the trade-off between security and defense tasks through an original analysis of the impact of the intensification of the French armed forces’ operational tempo on the overall availability of military equipment. We argue that the intensification of military interventions generates gaps in a country’s military capabilities. More precisely, an excessive operational tempo, understood as an unsustainable level of deployment given regeneration capabilities, can reduce the ability of military organizations to generate operationally effective forces. Through an original methodological approach, using a multilevel econometric model that estimates a specific dimension of military power applied to the French case, this article contributes to the literature on the strategic utility of military interventions by examining their structural impact on the armed forces.