US Army looking to store tanks, equipment in Eastern Europe

[CougarKing]

Pre-positioned US armour?

Military.com

Army Looking to Store Tanks, Equipment in Eastern Europe

Stars and Stripes | Jan 26, 2015 | by John Vandiver and Michael Darnell
U.S. Army Europe will soon dispatch a survey team to eastern Europe to scout locations for tanks and other military hardware as part of a broader effort to bolster the U.S. military presence in a region rattled by Russia's intervention in Ukraine, the Army's top commander in Europe said Friday.

"We are doing surveys here in the next few weeks up in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria to see if there is a place where perhaps some of that equipment could be stored there," USAREUR chief Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges said during an interview with Stars and Stripes. "Maybe it's a company, maybe it's a whole battalion, we don't know yet until we do the survey."

In 2015, the Army expects to rotate a full-sized, U.S.-based heavy brigade of some 3,000 troops and additional tanks and other armored vehicles through Europe in connection with the service's Regionally Aligned Force initiative. Last year, the program kicked off on a smaller scale, bringing combat tanks back into Europe after a brief absence following the elimination of two Germany-based heavy brigades in 2013. Now, the regional concept is picking up steam, with plans for 220 armored vehicles in Europe.

(...SNIPPED)

 

[George Wallace]

Now that is scary.  If during the Cold War, American forces in Germany would be lucky to mount their vehicles and get out the gate before the "Russian Hordes" overran them; how do they expect to pre-position equipment and munitions in Eastern Europe and not expect to see it captured quickly by the Russians?

 

[MilEME09]

Now that is scary.  If during the Cold War, American forces in Germany would be lucky to mount their vehicles and get out the gate before the "Russian Hordes" overran them; how do they expect to pre-position equipment and munitions in Eastern Europe and not expect to see it captured quickly by the Russians?

Because they wouldn't be "Russians"  > Seriously though from a logistical situation it makes sense, but how long would it take to get crews over to man all that equipment? who is protecting that kit? US forces or local forces?

 

[Rifleman62]

The Iraqi Army will be contracted to provide protection.

 

[Baz]

Seriously though from a logistical situation it makes sense, but how long would it take to get crews over to man all that equipment?

Look at figure 3, page 28, of http://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/79doc644.pdf.

Basically, in the early eighties they went up from two divisions to five divisions in POMCUS (Prepositioning Of Materiel Configured in Unit Sets) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/POMCUS sites, plus a whole lot of extra units.  The original two POMCUS sites were to reinforce V and VII Corps around the Fulda gap, the 3 additional ones were to move III Corps from Fort Hood to NORTHAG, as a mobile reserve, as the four Nations defending the North German Plain didn't have enough firepower.

The plan was to move all of the REFORGER http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exercise_Reforger units to their POMCUS sites within two weeks, as per the table I first quoted.  This meant a few things: they all had additional equipment sets in the US (which would be taken up by Reserve Units and sent as follow up forces), they would move only the people, and they had available airlift (their was a program to help airlines keep enough lift for emergencies);it certainly wasn't cheap!

 

[cupper]

Sounds like someone is trying to tweak Vlady.

 

[Kirkhill]

Now that is scary.  If during the Cold War, American forces in Germany would be lucky to mount their vehicles and get out the gate before the "Russian Hordes" overran them; how do they expect to pre-position equipment and munitions in Eastern Europe and not expect to see it captured quickly by the Russians?

Maybe the plan is for them to be "captured" by Estonians, Latvians, Lithuanians, Poles, Bulgarians and Romanians.  How long before they are "sold" to the Ukrainians.

Vadim Ozirny is hoping for reinforcements.
The 46-year-old Ukrainian tank commander says politicians might yet stop the conflict that grips the east of his country, but supplies of arms from the West would bring a quicker result.
“Can we win this war? Can we bring it to an end? I don’t know. This is not toys; it’s not players on a football field. Give me some British Challengers or German Leopards and the Russians will be afraid to come out against us.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/11367411/Tank-troops-fight-to-contain-rebel-expansion-in-eastern-Ukraine.html

As I've noted before - the Americans have a history of allies "stealing" equipment from them when circumstances demanded.

 

[tomahawk6]

There has been planning to preposition enough equipment in Europe for a heavy brigade.It wont cause a stir in the Kremlin.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Poland would be a safer bet, the Poles have a strong interests in maintaining a NATO presence and are not complicated by a large ethnic Russian population that may have divided loyalties.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Of course, the best natural anti-tank ditch in Europe is the English Channel.

They should base a Division there, with a Brigade 'one up' ... in Kiev  ;D

 

[MilEME09]

Of course, the best natural anti-tank ditch in Europe is the English Channel.

They should base a Division there, with a Brigade 'one up' ... in Kiev  ;D

The C-17/C-3 had to make an emergency landing in Ukraine due to bad weather  > they solved the weight problem for the flight. unfortunately i doubt any country especially the US under the current administration would do that.

 

[CougarKing]

Abrams, Bradleys and other equipment in the Baltic states:

Defense News

US Sends Heavy Armor to Baltic States To 'Deter' Russia
Agence France-Presse 2:07 p.m. EDT March 9, 2015

RIGA, Latvia — The United States on Monday delivered more than 100 pieces of military equipment to vulnerable NATO-allied Baltic states in a move designed to provide them with the ability to deter potential Russian threats.

The deliveries are intended to "demonstrate resolve to President (Vladimir) Putin and Russia that collectively we can come together," US Ma. Gen. John R. O'Connor told AFP as he oversaw the delivery of the equipment in the port of Riga.

The delivery included Abrams tanks, Bradley fighting vehicles, Scout Humvees as well as support equipment and O'Connor said the armor would stay "for as long as required to deter Russian aggression."

(...SNIPPED)

 

[Tibbson]

Jeez, too bad we couldn't rent them space on one of our bases.  Oh yeah, thats right, we don't have them any more.  Darn. 

 

[daftandbarmy]

Abrams, Bradleys and other equipment in the Baltic states:

Defense News

So, that's like enough vehicles to support only a couple of armoured squadrons, right?

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Us old farts can start consulting as "Cold war specialists" offering advice to offset the COIN thinking of the current generation.  8)

 

[tomahawk6]

http://www.stripes.com/news/troops-and-hardware-from-3rd-infantry-division-heading-to-eastern-europe-1.333467

Approximately 3,000 soldiers from the division’s 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team are bringing approximately 750 vehicles and pieces of heavy equipment with them, including tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, artillery pieces and helicopters. The gear arrived Monday via ship in Riga, Latvia, Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren told reporters.

 

[daftandbarmy]

http://www.stripes.com/news/troops-and-hardware-from-3rd-infantry-division-heading-to-eastern-europe-1.333467

Approximately 3,000 soldiers from the division’s 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team are bringing approximately 750 vehicles and pieces of heavy equipment with them, including tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, artillery pieces and helicopters. The gear arrived Monday via ship in Riga, Latvia, Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren told reporters.

Now that's more like it.

'It is with artillery that war is made'  :nod: