The U.S. Army in Europe Strategic Landpower in Action
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Association of the United States Army Voice for the Army—Support for the Soldier October 2015 The U.S. Army in Europe Strategic Landpower in Action The recent deployment of company-sized Army elements to Poland and the Baltic States offers a ru- bric for what . global landpower . may look like going forward. With a relatively small footprint, our Army achieves strategic aims by employing trained and ready units, fully prepared for joint com- bined-arms maneuver, that are adaptive and flexible, prepared to carry out a range of operations with partner nation forces. General Daniel B. Allyn, Vice Chief of Staff, Army Remarks at AUSA’s ILW Hot Topic “Army Networks,” 9 July 2015 Introduction The growing and emerging threats to the glob- al security environment—the velocity of instabili- ty—recently compelled the Department of Defense (DoD) to reexamine its capabilities and capacity for deterrence, sustained operations and reassurance of allies and partners. In contrast to projections in earlier strategic guidance, the regional security and stability in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Pacific have deteriorated in the past several years in ways that were not anticipated. Potential adversaries sought to negate America’s strengths, exploit its vul- nerabilities and gain temporary or local superiority in one or more capability areas. Additionally, the more extreme conditions of volatility and instability. More- adversaries disrupted or undermined the strong U.S. over, traditional allies in Europe continue to face sig- network of security alliances and partners, the greater nificant economic and demographic burdens that ex- the threat to the vital interests of the United States. ert downward pressure on defense budgets. Therefore, This continues today. strengthening military capabilities and building secu- The U.S. Army, as part of the joint force, operates rity capacity necessary for regional stability require globally in environments characterized by growing sustained and focused engagement. That is precisely urbanization, proliferation of weapons of mass de- what U.S. Army Europe (USAREUR)—as the Army Strategic Landpower in Action struction, malicious cyber and information operations, service component command (ASCC) to U.S. Euro- humanitarian crises and the devastating effects of cli- pean Command—is executing under the framework of its Strong Europe initiative. And in doing so, it is The U.S.The Army in Europe mate change. The combination of threats and condi- tions creates an increasingly dangerous and unpre- supporting both U.S. and allied interests on the Euro- dictable operational environment and underscores the pean continent. Through USAREUR, Army forces are need for Army forces—active, Guard and Reserve— both present and capable in a critical area of the world, that are agile, responsive and regionally engaged. sending a strong message of assurance and deterrence to friends and potential adversaries alike. The U.S. Ar- In the European region, Russia’s intervention has my’s presence in Europe is more vital now than it has challenged the resolve of the European Union and been since the fall of the Soviet Union. NATO. Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and use of conventional and unconventional land forces Background in Ukraine suggest that Russia is determined to ex- When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, USAREUR pand its territory and assert its power on the Eurasian had 218,000 Soldiers on more than 850 installations, landmass. In addition, terrorist attacks in Europe to- organized under 41 garrisons with multiple corps, gether with significant increases in numbers of ref- divisions and theater enablers. Many countries were ugees from Africa and the Middle East have created already counting ways to spend their newfound peace As a result, Army forces in Europe received direction to immediately flow Soldiers into Estonia, Latvia, Lithua- nia and Poland to reassure allies and partners. This mission quickly expanded into a continuous series of exercises— Operation Atlantic Resolve—taking place from the Baltics to the Black Sea (24 battalion-led multinational exercises so far in 2015, with more scheduled). U.S. Resolve in Europe Recent U.S. military guidance together with executive and legislative government support have served to under- score U.S. resolve toward Europe and, in particular, the need for landpower on the European continent. The Depart- ment of the Army’s (DA’s) regionally aligned forces (RAF) initiative provides maneuver units and enablers resulting in dividend as the Soviet Union ended. Former Soviet Bloc a continuous presence of U.S. land forces in Europe. This countries were making decisions on where to focus their builds partner capacity and increases U.S. interoperability futures—East or West. as a member of NATO. Another DA initiative, European In the summer of 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait and the Activity Sets (EAS), enables one of these RAF units—a United States quickly began to assemble a coalition of battalion—to integrate into the training cycle of NATO’s countries to oust Iraqi forces. In 1991, USAREUR’s VII Response Force. The goal of EAS is to expand the size of Corps played a pivotal role in the conflict (Operation Des- the unit from a battalion to a brigade combat team as well as ert Storm). In 1995, after three years of brutal, ethnically including enablers such as air defense, transportation, signal rooted conflict in Bosnia, the Dayton Peace accords were and engineer assets to increase capabilities. In sum, these signed and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) two programs are integral to the overall success of NATO’s assumed the role of peacekeeper in Bosnia and Herze- Readiness Action Plan. govina. USAREUR’s 1st Armored Division played a lead Undergirding U.S. commitment to the region is the Eu- ground role in that peacekeeping force. In 1998, the former ropean Reassurance Initiative (ERI, part of the Consolidate Yugoslav Republic of Serbia’s province of Kosovo required and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2015), which a NATO-led international peacekeeping force—Kosovo provides critical funding while supporting four landpower Forces, or KFOR—to bring stability to the country that con- requirements: increased presence; infrastructure; exercises tinues to this day. and training; and prepositioning of equipment. This provides The stability and prosperity of Europe is vital to U.S. na- persistent armored brigade combat team presence in theater; tional interests. The European Union (EU) is the largest U.S. infrastructure enhancements to enable reception, staging and trade partner with almost $1 trillion in trade annually. In onward movement (RSOI); and improvements to training fact, about half of the global gross domestic product (GDP) areas as well as increased exercises. and a third of the global trade come from the combined U.S. Strong Europe and EU economies. In short, a peaceful and economically stable Europe is in the direct national security interest of the U.S. Army forces provide strategic landpower to pre- United States. Since the end of the Cold War, the European vent future conflict through deterrence, toshape the security region has enjoyed a relatively high level of security; as a environment by reassuring allies through presence and action result, in the past 25 years, USAREUR has undergone enor- and—if necessary—to win. The U.S. Army on the Europe- mous change, reducing more than 70 percent of its infra- an continent provides that landpower through highly ready structure and Soldiers. Today’s consolidated footprint in US- forces; robust logistics; transportation and infrastructure; AREUR consists of two brigade combat teams (BCTs) and networked intelligence; strong communications; and an ever- about 30,000 Soldiers. Concurrently, European forces had increasing level of interoperability with allies and partners. reduced their numbers as well. Though Russia was invited USAREUR contributes to European security through an to engage with NATO—and actually participated in joint initiative called Strong Europe—a framework that focuses exercises for a short period in the 1990s—the cooperation on relationships, capabilities, infrastructure and exercises ended soon afterwards as the Russian leadership changed. that aim to assure allies, deter aggression and posture the Soon it appeared Russia would not embrace NATO as an force to respond to a crisis or conflict if deterrence fails. Op- international partner. Russia’s actions in Georgia, Moldova eration Atlantic Resolve is a major part of Strong Europe. and then Ukraine have confirmed their change in focus and Trained and ready, 30,000 Soldiers evoke a 300,000-person resurgence as an unstable influence in the region. capability. In addition, USAREUR leads Atlantic Resolve 2 www.ausa.org Current Challenges for U.S. Army Europe Current Challenges BALTIC SEA LITHUANIA Mediterranean migration Suwalke Gap Israel and Lebanon KALININGRAD Resurgent Russia BELARUS ICELAND Flow of foreign fighters POLAND SWEEDEN FINLAND NORWAY XXXX BALTIC SEA ESTONIA RUSSIA LATVIA Russian Missile Ranges XXXX NORTH SEA DENMARK LITHUANIA Iskander (GLCM) UNITED KINGDOM Iskander (SS-26) BELARUS XXXX IRELAND NETHERLANDS POLAND Stooge GERMANY BELGIUM SA-21 CZECH REP. UKRAINE Bastion SLOVAKIA KAZAKHSTAN ATLANTIC OCEAN AUSTRIA MOLDOVA XXXX SA-20 FRANCE SWITZERLAND HUNGARY XXXX ROMANIA CROATIA Russian snap SERBIA BLACK SEA exercise ITALY BULGARIA GEORGIA CASPIAN SEA XXXXUZBEKISTAN PORTUGAL SPAIN AZERBAIJAN TYRRHENIAN SEA GREECE TURKMENISTAN Russian army