Europe warned to overhaul military forces

European defence ministers will seek today to push forward efforts to modernise their forces a day after an influential Washington think-tank warned they must urgently overhaul the military to defend Europe’s interests against terrorists, failed states and regional crises.

The report, drafted by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said continued European inability to face up to 21st Century threats could undermine the Atlantic alliance as America’s military might increasingly dwarfs that of its NATO allies.