US to up European presence to counter Russian ‘aggression’

The US military said on Wednesday it would deploy rotations of US-based armoured brigade combat teams to Europe, part of an effort to counter what the US sees as Russian aggression on the continent.

The teams will be on nine-month rotations starting in February next year, and will conduct military exercises across Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, and Hungary, according to a statement from US European Command.

This will bring the total US army presence on the continent to three fully manned brigades, the military said. Each unit rotating in will bring equipment that is more modern and will replace the current training equipment in Europe. A typical US army armoured brigade has about 4,500 soldiers.

The decision means US allies will "see a more frequent presence of an armoured brigade with more modernised equipment in their countries", said Gen Philip Breedlove, commander of US European Command.

The US has budgeted to boost military training and exercises aimed at reassuring European countries concerned about Russia, which seized Ukraine's Crimean peninsula in 2014 and has worried Nato allies with bomber flights.

Equipment will be stored in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany, and will allow for "additional combat power", the military said.

Reuters