Washington to increase levels of pre-deployed equipment in allied Baltic states
TALLINN — The US will spread about 250 tanks, armoured vehicles and other military equipment across six former Soviet nations to help reassure NATO allies facing threats from Russia and terrorist groups, Defence Secretary Ash Carter announced yesterday.
Carter’s announcement, made as he stood with Defence chiefs from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, comes a day after he announced that the US would have other weapons, aircraft and forces, including commandos, ready as needed for NATO’s new rapid reaction force, to help Europe defend against potential Russian aggression from the east and the Islamic State and other violent extremists from the south.
The Defence chiefs standing with Carter all spoke bluntly about the threat they perceive from Russia, and the latest military plans provide a show of solidarity across the region and in NATO.
Estonia Defence Minister Sven Mikser said the Baltic leaders aren’t trying to restart the Cold War arms race or match Russia “tank for tank,” but the additional military presences will be a sure deterrent to Moscow and could change the calculous.
“In global terms Russia is no match conventionally to US or to NATO, but here in our corner of the world, Putin believes that he enjoys regional superiority,” Mikser said, adding that Estonia is eager and ready to accept the equipment immediately.
‘Most aggressive act’
A Russian Defence Ministry official said stationing tanks and heavy weapons in NATO states on Russia’s border would be the most aggressive US act since the Cold War.
Putin, who denies any direct involvement in Ukraine and accuses the West of stirring tensions, has announced Russia will add more than 40 intercontinental ballistic missiles to its nuclear arsenal.
“We didn’t want to have this new challenge,” Carter said, “but then all of the sudden here you have behaviour by Russia, which… is an effort to take the world backward in time. And we can’t allow that to happen.”
BALTOPS military exercise
Later in the day, Russia was also on the minds of US sailors and Marines aboard the USS San Antonio, which just finished a major annual international military exercise on the Baltic Sea called BALTOPS.
The exercise, which involved some 60 ships from 17 NATO nations, is part of the stepped-up campaign to increase military training and activities in the region as a deterrent to Russia.
Troops quizzed Carter on US relations with Russia and questioned whether the US might put a greater maritime presence in the region.
The two-pronged US plan — with the placement of equipment in Europe and the commitment of resources for NATO’s very high readiness task force — underscore the US’s commitment to helping allies counter growing threats on Europe’s eastern and southern fronts.
US and NATO allies have criticized Russia for its increasingly aggressive actions, including the annexation of Crimea and its backing of separatist troops on Ukraine’s eastern border.
Carter said the US, if requested and approved, would be willing to provide intelligence and surveillance capabilities, special operations forces, logistics, transport aircraft, and a range of weapons support that could include bombers, fighters and ship-based missiles. It would not provide a large ground force.
Herald with AP, Reuters
Source: Buenos Aires Herald