Obama Pledges $1 Billion for America’s forces in Europe Amid heightened tensions with Russia.
What could $1 billion look like in military hardware for U.S. Forces operating in Europe? Britain gives NATO 25 tanks and 1,000 soldiers for the defense of Poland.
The President of the United States, Barack Obama, has given U.S. Military forces in Europe $1 billion for reinforcing positions in Latvia, Lithuania, Romania , and Poland. After Russia's invasion of Crimea and subsequent guerrilla warfare tactics in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, has NATO gearing up for an old, conventional, adversary.
Before we get into what we will likely see implemented with this new influx of cash, lets see what pieces the U.S. already has on the table to play this geopolitical chess game.
Since April, the U.S. has started to rotate 600 paratroopers, F-16's, F-15's, tankers, surveillance aircraft, and patriot missile batteries through Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland for joint training exercises.
These exercises serve to cohesively merge NATO’s baltic countries’ military with U.S. forces to better interoperate in preparation for combat.
When Russia invaded Ukraine it reinforced its border positions along its European front with NATO members; along with Russia seizing Ukraine’s Black Sea fleet in Crimea, off setting the balance of power. Thats why the U.S. and NATO keep sending frigates, destroyers, and cruisers into the Black Sea.
It is fairly obvious that 600 paratroops will not do much in terms of balance, but acts as a sort of “no go zone” for Russia. If Russian troops were to kill U.S. soldiers, it would be a major escalation and draw a U.S. and NATO military response.
The fighter jets, however, have been actively intercepting Russian military flights in NATO members’ airspace and escorting them back to Russia, maintaining NATO members sovereignty.
The U.S. Army Europe has what they refer to as “The European Activity Set,” which is a combined arms division comprised of the most advanced armored units, all located in Germany.
Among them are M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tanks and M2A3/M3A3 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles. The last batch of 50 Abrams and Bradleys rolled off the train tracks and into the Grafenwoehr Training Area in January.
The U.S. has around 40,000-60,000 troops, airmen, and sailors along with a couple hundred tanks and APC’s at any given time based in Europe.
The naval aspect includes the U.S. Sixth fleet which consists of 40 ships, 175 aircraft,21,000 sailors, and an untold amount of submarines. United States Sixth Fleet is operationally organized into task forces.
“Task Force 60:
Task Force 60 is Sixth Fleet’s Battle Force. It is composed of one or more aircraft carriers, each with an accompanying complement of approximately six cruisers and destroyers. On board the aircraft carrier is an air wing of 65 — 85 aircraft. The air wing is the primary striking arm of the Battle Force, and includes attack, fighter, anti-submarine, and reconnaissance aircraft. Ships accompanying the carrier serve as defensive and offensive platforms with duties involving anti-air, surface and submarine warfare. In addition to its major role of controlling the seas, the Battle Force can also project its power over land.
Task Force 61:
Task Force 61 is the Mediterranean Amphibious Ready Group (MARG). It is composed of approximately three amphibious ships and their embarked landing craft. From these ships, United States Marine ground forces can move ashore by sea and air in amphibious assault of emergency evacuation missions. Once ashore, the ships of Task Force 61 logistically support the ground forces, until the objective of the landing has been accomplished, and the Marine Forces return to the ships.
Task Force 62:
Task Force 62 is the combat-ready ground force composed of a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) of approximately 1,800 Marines. Transported in Task Force 61 ships, the MEU is equipped with armor, artillery, and transport helicopters that enable it to conduct operations ashore, or evacuate civilians from troubled areas.
Task Force 63:
Task Force 63 is the Logistics Force. Composed of oilers, provision ships, and repair ships, its mission is the delivery of supplies at sea, and effecting repairs to other ships and equipment of the Fleet.
Task Force 64:
Task Force 64 was the SSBN Force assigned to COMSIXTHFL. Until the end of the 1970th these ships were homeported in Rota, Spain.
In times of war the COMSIXTHFL had not had direct influence on the selection of the targets that would have been attacked by the SSBNs. These targets were annually chosen by the NATO’s Nuclear Target Planning Group.
Task Force 66/69:
Task Force 66/69 is responsible for planning and coordinating area submarine and anti-submarine warfare operations in the Mediterranean. Specifically, Task Force 69 is composed of attack submarines that provide capability to destroy enemy surface ships and submarines, as well as protect other Sixth Fleet ships from attack.
Task Force 67:
Task Force 67 is composed of land-based maritime patrol aircraft. These aircraft operate over the waters of the Mediterranean in anti- submarine, reconnaissance, surveillance, and mining roles.”
As for the U.S Air Force Europe, has 35,000 airmen and many airwing divisions scattered throughout Europe. The airwing divisions consist of hundreds of fighters, bombers, transport, intelligence aircraft, and tankers.
Now we know the existing chess pieces on the board. What should we expect from this extra $1 billion?
Increased number of exercises which brings cooperativity and readiness between NATO nations, rotational, and permanent hardware.
The U.S. Air Force has already announced that they will send three nuclear capable B-52's for a two week stint in Europe. Possibly along with some more F-15's and F-16's. That includes hundreds of ground support personnel. The U.S. military will likely use some funds to continue and increase surveillance flights.
The U.S. Navy will likely keep sending warships to the Black Sea and continue to conduct exercises with Turkey and Romania. And potentially send a carrier strike group through the Mediterranean.
The U.S. Army will be keen on expanding and holding as many exercises as they can with NATO member nations. The U.S. will probably send two to six thousand soldiers with related equipment to NATO’s Baltic states over the coming months, drastically increasing their overall presence from the 600 held currently. In doing so would transform the Baltics from superficial “no go” states to countries with a considerable amount of force being garrisoned to them. Though to truly counter Russia’s military build up, the U.S. Army will need Abrams and Bradleys on the ground in Lithuania and Poland. Never straying from watching America’s back, Britain has recently offered an armoured battle group including up to 25 tanks and 1,000 British soldiers. Other welcomed news: Latvia, Lithuania, Romania , and Poland have all announced plans to increase defence spending in response to the Ukraine crisis. Russia has been pulling some soldiers from Ukraine's border. As Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO’s Secretary General, put it “ Russia still has tens of thousands of troops ready to invade at any moment”
