Foreign basing of military units - Hague Convention restrictions

[MartG]

Just thought up an 'excuse' for aircraft etc. being painted in the markings of countries which never operated them ( as if an excuse is really needed  ).

Suppose that, under the Articles of the Hague Convention ( 1907 ) there were provisions restricting the basing of military units in a 3rd party country, other than those of co-belligerents during declared hostilities or for purposes of occupation. The restrictions cold specify a minimum %age of manpower ( say 80% ) within a military unit which must be citizens of the host country, and that any hardware must be owned by the host nation and carry its markings. This would have prevented, for example, the USAF basing squadrons in Britain and certain European countries after WW2.

However, to work around these restrictions, the hardware could be nominally leased to the host country and painted up in its markings, and as long as 80% of the men involved are from the host country ( or at least possessing a passport from that country to show that they are 'citizens' - easy enough to sort out on a temporary basis ) things would be OK.

Right, now that's sorted, I'm off to build a B-47 in RAF markings.....

[van883]

Nice idea

Van

[lancer]

I like it too

[sotoolslinger]

Good enough for me In one of my personal alternate histories the U.S. doesn't enter WW 2 until very late but they send men (scientist and mercenaries) material, technology, and build factories in foriegn countries to "prop them up" without actually declaring war.

[nev]

Hell, Russia and the US did that for years in the cold war with their "advisors"

[Just call me Ray]

Some things to consider:

Let's say it's 1956 and the occupation of West Germany is declared "done." Well, if you're going to put constitutional restrictions on Germany's warfighting capability and maintain the terms of the Hague Convention, then this means that potentially every single Buneswehr/Luftwaffe military unity might actually be American! Now that's certainly some interesting Whiff material there.