Combat vehicles of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team are unloaded at port ahead of training in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve, meant as a show of force near Russia's border with Europe. The Pentagon is increasingly focused on Russian deterrence in Europe, and additional U.S. troops may be in the mix. (Sgt. Christopher Case/Army)
Military Times: Here’s how the US is preparing for a possible Russian attack in Europe
An increasing focus on Russian deterrence within the top ranks of the Pentagon could foreshadow the deployment of more U.S. troops to Europe.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis will meet with NATO defense ministers this week and pitch a 30-30-30-30 readiness plan to counter what the Pentagon perceives as an increasing Russian ground force threat. The plan calls on NATO allies to assemble 30 land battalions, 30 air squadrons and 30 combat vessels capable of deploying in 30 days or less by the year 2020.
The plan comes at a time of lingering concerns about the capability of NATO members to meet U.S. strategic readiness goals.
Read more ....
Update #1: U.S. Pushes NATO Allies to Ready Forces Against Russian Threat (Moscow Times)
Update #2: Trump Administration Tells NATO Prepare for Russian Attack With Planes, Ships and Troops (Newsweek)
WNU Editor: The U.S. plan is to be able to "assemble 30 land battalions, 30 air squadrons and 30 combat vessels capable of deploying in 30 days or less by the year 2020". I can understand the impact that 30 air squadrons and 30 naval combat vessels may have in a conflict against Russia .... but 30 land battalions seems awfully small to me.
6 comments:
How much Russian commerce is oceanic?
JH
If nearly all of the 30-30-30 are European forces then this makes sense. If the US is also in the mix, then this is pitifully small.
No matter how it’s sliced the Europeans will say it costs too much.
I have thought ever since Trump became President that he was going to give every opportunity to the Euros to show they value NATO. Once they showed they didn’t he would start cutting individual defense deals with the few key Euro countries key to US security and forget about NATO.
The problem is that Russia isn't going to attack Europe. NATO has 20 times the defense spending, twice the troops, moved right up to Russian borders, and Russia's the threat? And if you invoke Crimea, I'll point out that that really began with the US-NATO-EU backed violent coup against the duly elected government in February of 2014 which installed a bunch of violent Russo-phobes with neo-Nazi proclivities (the CIA had been fostering these movements in Ukraine for decades before hand) in power in Kiev. Under those conditions, there was no way that Moscow was going to allow Crimea to be turned into a NATO base, which it would have been otherwise.
Carl, I hold Victoria Nuland, Kerry and Obama responsible for instigating the Ukraine war. In no way does that diminish Russian dangers to other NATO countries with large Russian minorities. Since you think Russia won’t attack these countries, no harm in NATO building up a deterrent as long as it’s European NATO paying for it. They feel threatened, good pay for it.
Wnu.. the Land units are the ones that Russia would engage with first (you know, sending "non Russian identified paramilitary troops"..just like in Ukraine while denying it all. ..if Russia were to send proper land troops (a big invasion) we would use tactical nukes and they know it.
Post a Comment