U.S. will send battle-ready troops and tanks to border with Russia
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Battle-ready American soldiers will soon be permanently positioned along Russia's western borders.
In a move not seen since the Cold War, the Pentagon plans to send U.S. troops with heavy artillery to Eastern Europe to bolster the defenses of its NATO allies and send a message to an increasingly aggressive Moscow: back off.
General Philip Breedlove, the top U.S. commander in Europe, announced the move Wednesday, saying it demonstrates a "strong and balanced approach to reassuring our NATO Allies and partners in the wake of an aggressive Russia in Eastern Europe and elsewhere."
It means about 4,500 U.S. troops along with 250 tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles, Paladin self-propelled howitzers and more than 1,700 additional military vehicles would be on the ground in six countries by next February.
The move marks an escalation of a proposal announced last year, when it said it was considering ways to increase America's military present in Eastern Europe to deter Russia.
Battle-ready American soldiers will soon be permanently positioned along Russia's western borders.
In a move not seen since the Cold War, the Pentagon plans to send U.S. troops with heavy artillery to Eastern Europe to bolster the defenses of its NATO allies and send a message to an increasingly aggressive Moscow: back off.
General Philip Breedlove, the top U.S. commander in Europe, announced the move Wednesday, saying it demonstrates a "strong and balanced approach to reassuring our NATO Allies and partners in the wake of an aggressive Russia in Eastern Europe and elsewhere."
It means about 4,500 U.S. troops along with 250 tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles, Paladin self-propelled howitzers and more than 1,700 additional military vehicles would be on the ground in six countries by next February.
The move marks an escalation of a proposal announced last year, when it said it was considering ways to increase America's military present in Eastern Europe to deter Russia.
The estimated 4,500 troops and military equipment are expected to be spread across Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania. The materiel could also be moved around the region for training and military exercises.
U.S. Army officials have said they would send additional communications equipment to Europe so that headquarters units could have the radios, computers and other equipment needed to work with the brigades, The Associated Press reported.
In February, the Pentagon requested $3.4 billion from the $583 billion in the 2017 defense budget to increase troop rotations and military exercises in Europe, essentially calling for the constant presence of a third brigade in Europe. Two are already permanently stationed in Europe, according to the AP. This new brigade will rotate in and out on a continual basis.
Congress still has to approve the request.
The 2016 budget included about $780 million for the so-called European reassurance initiative, which covered the costs of sending hundreds of U.S. troops in and out of Europe for short deployments, military exercises and other training missions.
It also set aside funds for the Navy to reopen and upgrade a Cold War-era aircraft hangar in Keflavik, Iceland for planes used to hunt Russian submarines.
Under the new plan, the older American gear that was going to be pre-positioned in Eastern Europe will now be moved to a U.S. depot in Germany for refurbishing before being sent to bases in Germany, Netherlands and Belgium,
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