The Readiness Gap Is Structural — Why Spending and Reform Will Not Close It

A convergence study. An empirical defence survey (EDINA V, Defcom One, Feb 2026) and a structural diagnosis (Consensus as Ceremony, DURCHD8, cut-off 8 April 2026) reach the same verdict by methods that share nocomponent: NATO's readiness gap is real and structural. Reform acts on the operating layer; the source sits below it, in the demographic floor and the spending-to-capability conversion. The gap is managed, not closed — and that distinction, not the spending level, is the decision. Non-normative. More: https://durchd8.com