Escalation 101: USA To Deploy 150 Tanks near Russian Border

Wednesday, 26 November 2014

The US Army plans to deploy about 150 tanks and armoured vehicles to NATO countries next year and some of the heavy armour may be stationed in Eastern Europe, a top American general said on Tuesday.

The move is part of a US effort dubbed Operation Atlantic Resolve in the Baltic states and Poland to reassure allies anxious about a 'resurgent Russia', with American troops deploying for several months at a time to conduct joint exercises.

Nearly 50 armoured vehicles are already in place and another 100 M1 Abrams tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles will be "pre-positioned" in Germany and possibly elsewhere for the US troops conducting drills with NATO partners, Lieutenant General Ben Hodges said in a phone interview from Estonia.

"The troops will come over and train, and they'll go back. The equipment will stay behind," Hodges said.Hodges said he would soon make a recommendation on whether to store some of the tanks and armoured vehicles among NATO's eastern members.

"I'm going to look at options that would include distributing this equipment in smaller sets, company-size or battalion-size, perhaps in the Baltics, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, places like that," he said.

Since 1945, the United States has about 29,000 forces permanently stationed in Germany, Italy and Belgium but has stepped up temporary deployments of troops for training and exercises designed to send a signal to Russia and NATO partners.

Official Moscow has warned the US to take their provocative actions down a notch.

Russian officials have said each US action near its border would be considered as an act of aggression.

http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/26498/53/