COUNTERING TERRORISM AND REDUCING STRATEGIC UNCERTAINTY: ANALYSING ‘SHAPING’ MULTINATIONAL MILITARY EXERCISES

Abstract

The post-Cold War period has witnessed a significant increase in ‘shaping’ multinational military exercises, which are considered a valuable instrument of defence diplomacy. Shaping multinational military exercises aim to encourage the partner military's role and adapt relationship to reduce strategic uncertainty. Since 2014, Pakistan’s conduct and participation in multinational military exercises have increased significantly. Pakistan conducts four such exercises to reduce strategic uncertainty: recruitment, capacity-building, role-forming, and trust-developing. This article, therefore, argues that Pakistan pursues shaping multinational military exercises to mould the strategic thinking of both friends and potential adversaries to achieve foreign policy goals in a complex security environment. Bibliography Entry Bashir, Sadaf, and Sumara Gul. 2021. "Countering Terrorism and Reducing Strategic Uncertainty: Analysing ‘Shaping’ Multinational Military Exercises." Margalla Papers 25 (2): 71-83.

Keywords

• Defence Diplomacy
• Counter-Terrorism
• Operation Zarb-e-Azb
• Multinational Military Exercises