bonsai army

English

Etymology

In reference to the small size and decorative nature of bonsai plants.

Noun

bonsai army (plural bonsai armies)

1. A sovereign state's army or military force that is small and could be considered merely "for decoration". A bonsai army is not large enough to fundamentally protect a country.

   Without Soviet support surrounding the missile crisis, Cuba's military would have been merely a bonsai army and they would have quickly succumbed to any serious invasion from the west.

2. A tiny, largely ornamental (military) structure bereft of the capability to effectively carry out its constitutional missions.
3. A military that covers the entire spectrum of capabilities but has virtually no external military clout.

References

• Europe’s BDS and Bonsai Armies: Is the sun setting in the West and rising east in China
• Unreliable Partners? Germany's Reputation in NATO Has Hit Rock Bottom
• Drones simply aren’t the height of technology
• Reshaping Cooperative Security Among Central American States