The USA responded swiftly and successfully in shut cooperation with our NATO Allies to the European safety disaster led to by Russia’s aggression towards Ukraine. The U.S. contributions to the Alliance’s response have been enabled by the substantial forces that we had already stationed in and deployed to Europe, together with sturdy prepositioned tools and shares, in addition to substantial investments in infrastructure and army mobility enabled by European Deterrence Initiative funding.
Our response included dispersing forces already in Europe to bolster NATO’s Jap Flank, to incorporate the deployment of: assault aviation from Germany to Lithuania; an airborne infantry battalion from Italy to Latvia; components of a Stryker Brigade Fight Crew from Germany dispersed to Romania, Bulgaria, and Hungary; Patriot batteries from Germany to Slovakia and Poland; and F-15s from the UK to Poland. These deployments have diversified in size primarily based on operational necessities and sustainability concerns.
Since February 2022, DoD deployed or prolonged over 20,000 further forces to Europe in response to the Ukraine disaster, including further air, land, maritime, cyber, and area capabilities, bringing our present whole to greater than 100,000 service members throughout Europe. This included extending a Provider Strike Group, deploying further fighter squadrons and raise/tanker plane, and deploying an Amphibious Readiness Group and Marine Expeditionary Power. DoD added a Corps Headquarters, Division Headquarters, Infantry Brigade Fight Crew (IBCT), Armored Brigade Fight Crew (ABCT), Excessive Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) battalion, and a number of enablers to the prevailing Corps Ahead Command Submit, Division Headquarters, and three BCTs already stationed in or deployed to Europe.
We additionally positioned the complete U.S. dedication to the NATO Response Power on heightened readiness.
Final month, the Secretary of Protection determined to increase or change nearly all of our “surge power,” making certain a sturdy deterrent and defensive posture alongside our Allies throughout the European continent. The USA will proceed to regulate its posture as wanted in response to the dynamic safety setting.
Right this moment, President Biden introduced on the NATO Summit in Madrid the next further long-term commitments to bolster European safety:
In Poland, we’ll completely ahead station the V Corps Headquarters Ahead Command Submit, an Army garrison headquarters, and a discipline assist battalion. These forces – the primary everlasting U.S. forces on NATO’s Jap Flank – will enhance our command and management capabilities, interoperability with NATO, and administration of prepositioned tools. This motion builds on the central function Poland has performed in supporting NATO’s fight credible deterrence and protection posture. The USA may also proceed to take care of, and search to boost, its substantial rotational power presence in Poland, together with an Armored Brigade Fight Crew, Fight Aviation Brigade factor, and Division Headquarters factor, which allows DoD to deploy fight forces up and down the Jap Flank.
In Romania, the US will place a rotational Brigade Fight Crew, thus sustaining a further brigade on the japanese flank in comparison with our January 2022 posture. This extra brigade headquartered in Romania will preserve the flexibility to deploy subordinate components throughout the japanese flank. This brigade will complement the opposite Brigade Fight Groups stationed and working in Europe.
Within the Baltic area, the US will improve its rotational deployments – which embrace armored, aviation, air protection, and particular operations forces – to bolster Baltic safety, improve interoperability, and show the pliability and fight readiness of U.S. forces. We are going to preserve a persistent, heel-to-toe presence within the area and can intensify coaching with our Baltic Allies to take care of combat-credible capabilities within the area.
In Spain, the US is working with the federal government to extend the variety of destroyers stationed at Rota from 4 to 6.
Within the United Kingdom, we’re growing our Fifth Era Fighter presence and talent to assist Allies throughout Europe by forward-stationing two squadrons of F-35s at RAF Lakenheath.
In Germany, the US will ahead station an air protection artillery brigade headquarters, a short-range air protection battalion, a fight sustainment assist battalion headquarters, and an engineer brigade headquarters – roughly 625 army personnel in whole. These forces will improve DoD’s air protection capabilities and enabler assist in Europe, which can present key reinforcement to NATO capabilities and permit DoD to reply extra successfully to threats towards NATO’s japanese flank. These forces construct upon the latest ahead stationing of the Multi Area Job Power and Theater Fires Command in Germany, which Secretary Austin introduced in April 2021.
In Italy, the US will ahead station a short-range air protection battery – totaling roughly 65 personnel. This battery is a subordinate unit of the short-range air protection battalion that DoD is stationing in Germany.
All of those combat-credible forces and enablers are supported by important investments within the long-term U.S. presence in Europe. In Fiscal 12 months 2022, DoD continues to execute $3.8 billion in European Deterrence Initiative funding (with one other $4.2 billion requested in FY23) for rotational forces, workouts, infrastructure (building of storage services, airfield upgrades, and coaching complexes) and prepositioned tools. Our sturdy train program additionally enhances our forces which are forward-stationed or rotating via the theater, and serves to extend our presence whereas constructing interoperability with NATO allies.
