The first 250 soldiers of 3rd armored brigade combat team, 4th infantry division of the US at the end of last week, arrived in the Polish city of Wroclaw within the framework of the NATO mission Atlantic Resolve (“Atlantic determination”). In total, according to the plan of the Alliance, Poland and the Baltic States need to accommodate not less than four thousand American soldiers, according to the European media.
It is noteworthy that visitors from overseas arrive in Eastern Europe for its military equipment: in the media and in social networks there were pictures of tanks M1 Abrams, discharged in the German port of Bremerhaven. From here the train platforms, they are transported to their new centres, including in Poland.
The decision about an unprecedented strengthening of the so-called “Eastern flank of NATO” was adopted at the NATO summit held this summer in Warsaw. According to the agreement only in the Baltic States and Poland, will be stationed four reinforced battalion tactical groups. It is interesting how NATO generals bypassed the ban on the deployment of the block near Russian borders: dislocation of military units will be accompanied by constant rotation, which seems to be not contrary to existing treaties, in particular the Founding act on mutual relations, cooperation and security between the Russian Federation and NATO signed in 1997.
We did not call, but we came
That NATO has declared Russia its “main threat” and increasing its military potential near the Russian borders, reiterated the Minister of defence of the Russian Federation General of the army Sergei Shoigu, speaking in December of last year on the expanded Board of the Ministry of defense of Russia in Moscow. As informed the head of the Russian defense Ministry, the leadership of the Alliance decided to deploy in 2017 in the Baltics and Poland four reinforced battalion tactical groups, and, moreover, to place and keep the territory of several countries of Eastern Europe armored brigade of the American army. Interestingly, these actions of the Alliance were the reason for a noticeable increase in the NATO budget: 892 billion to $ 918 billion.
Sergei Shoigu during his speech at the Board complained about the intensified intelligence activities of NATO on the territory of Russia. According to him, for ten years, the total number of flights by reconnaissance aircraft of the Alliance at the borders of our country increased almost three times, and in the South-West of Russia – in eight (!) time. One and a half times increased the intensity of naval intelligence near the Russian territorial waters, and in addition, NATO has twice increased the intensity of the exercises, most of which had an obvious anti-Russian orientation.
“So, in the UK armed forces to refer to the enemy at the site of the Salisbury plain began to use Russian-made tanks and military uniforms of the Russian army, – gave the example of the Minister of defence of the Russian Federation. – The last time this method of “training the troops” was used by Nazi Germany in the great Patriotic war.”
Visible implementation of plans for their gain in relative proximity to the Russian border was, and the current location of the armored group USA in Poland. By the way, as noted by head of the Department of Baltic Federal University. Kant Yuriy Zverev, of the NATO formation long enough to master the Polish lands.
“The first joint exercises with NATO took place in 1994 at the site near Poznan and in 1996 the Alliance uses a Poligon Drawsko Pomorskie, owned by Polish Land forces and the air force – like an expert. – You can also mention the creation of a German-Danish-Polish corps “North-East”, the headquarters of which involved 22 countries of NATO.
Poland is one of the most important training centers of the Alliance – the United center of combat training of the combined armed forces of NATO. And in the city of Morag, 60 kilometers from the border with the Kaliningrad oblast, approximately two years were American soldiers, who trained the Polish military handling of the Patriot air defense system”.
Threatening presence
New sound “the Polish expedition NATO” was in 2014, with the start of operation Atlantic Resolve (“Atlantic determination”), supposedly deployed in response to Russia’s actions in the Ukrainian crisis. From the moment Poland was visited by a significant number of the us military. Among them, the paratroopers of the 173rd airborne brigade, tank combat team, 1st cavalry (armored) division, units of the 3rd and 4th infantry divisions, the pilots of the 12th aviation brigade. By the way, in Poland is to be placed and the command of the four battalions.
“Deploying armored brigade combat team and other units in Eastern Europe was announced in the spring and summer of 2016, – said the expert of the Center Voyenno-political journalism CIGR.NET Boris Rozhin. – The Senate defence Committee held a debate on the number required for the deployment of troops and allocated funds for it. In the end, according to a compromise reached between the Republican majority in the Senate, the Pentagon and the Obama administration, it was decided to place in 2017, the forces of the mechanized brigade of the United States and part of the software”.
The expert believes that the current deployment of troops is only the first swallow, which will be other. “The plans of the Pentagon in the budget, conducted war games, strategic decisions were made, agreed with the “young allies” in NATO – draws the attention of Boris Rozhin. – They are now just being implemented, and what has been allocated for this military activity will be spent and implemented: defense contractors will master the allocated funds. Of course, these forces of the US and NATO is insufficient for a large-scale aggressive action against Russia.
It is more of a deterrent, which demonstrate the flag and military activity in certain countries, like this and like Obama. But a clear trend in which “light curtain” in Eastern Europe can turn into a threatening concentration of troops, which will form the real core of combat-ready units of the armies of the NATO countries (primarily the USA), with associated tightening of the level of the armies of Eastern European States. Thus, preconditions will be created for large-scale military conflict. We should not forget about that missile defense system in Eastern Europe, too, are deploying not just…”.
Keep the powder dry
Simply put, experts believe that the current US military activity in Poland only partially is demonstrative. This opinion, in particular, adheres to the already mentioned expert on geopolitics Yuri Zuev. “Poland in this situation simply acts as a “hostage”, which guaranteed NATO’s intervention in the case of the mythical “Russian aggression”, – he believes. – The presence of American troops and serves as a “sedative” for the poles, convinced the massive propaganda in the “future Russian invasion”. Finally, the American troops can continue to keep the Warsaw military-political orbit of Washington.”
However, other experts believe that if the existing trends will intensify, as Russia’s relations with the US and NATO to deteriorate, there is no guarantee that is American battalions in Poland and the Baltic States does not appear brigades, and brigades instead of divisions. In this situation, Russia needs to consider these trends in its military-political planning and the implementation of specific measures for development and deployment of the armed forces.
“Now there is hope that the USA at Donald trump can get away with escalation of the track, – emphasizes Boris Rozhin. – Nevertheless, all the “eggs in one basket” we don’t develop, and are considered a negative scenario, when the cold war started by Obama, will continue. Gunpowder in any case should be kept dry, adequately responding to the growing military threat on Western borders.”
That Russia “keeps your powder dry,” he mentioned at the December Collegium of the defense Ministry Sergei Shoigu. “None of the teachings of foreign countries, especially in border areas, did not remain without our attention, – he stressed. – The results of each of them analyzed and taken into account in training and combat activity of troops”. In this regard, it is worth noting a series of exercises held under the curtain of the years in the Western military district. In particular, the maneuvers took place on November 20-th army (stationed in Voronezh, Bryansk and Belgorod regions), in which improved management techniques and perfected the organization and management of different types of fighting.
That fall, soldiers of the motorized infantry connection of the call with the support of the army aviation worked on the ground in the Voronezh region order of restraint breakthrough of the state border. Here was a large-scale artillery fire, which according to the plan of training ended with the elimination of a breakthrough on the Russian territory from the West.
“Iskander” you in the window
Hysteria in NATO has caused the information about the appearance last fall in the Kaliningrad region of the Russian rocket complexes “Iskander-M”. Their transfer to the region were implemented by the Ministry of defense of Russia in the framework of activities planned combat training of the troops, in particular the practice of overcoming long distances in a variety of ways. However, the representatives of the Alliance together then wail about “inadequate reaction of Russia”, the need to strengthen the surveillance of land, sea and airspace.
Anxiety Western “partners” was clear: the possibility of these tactical complexes are such that they can be used with absolute precision and maximum effect to hit the target, located in most European countries. Including those where it is today so freely are overseas contingents, mounted elements of missile defense systems, Park state tanks and armored vehicles…
“The fact that Russia has increased its presence in the Kaliningrad region, naturally, – says the President of the Academy of geopolitical problems, doctor of military Sciences Konstantin Sivkov. – And the deployment of Iskander to the area bordering the place of deployment of NATO forces, – the expected response to possible threats. Thus, preparations are underway to contain the enemy is coming we can’t, but the defensive needs”.
Besides, the Russian defense Ministry note that all current threats to European security are nothing more than a consequence in the last ten years the military policy of the United States. This opinion, in particular, expressed the official representative of Department major General Igor Konashenkov. In his words, “a real security threat today is not Russia, and the saturation of Europe with weapons and soldiers not of European origin”.
A member of the Federation Council, the head of the Subcommittee on international political and military cooperation of the Committee on defense and security Olga Cowicide believes that instead of screaming “the Russians are coming” NATO should seriously attend to the threat of international terrorism, including those residing on the continent that showed the recent bloody attacks in several European cities.
Instead, as drew attention to the Senator, the results of the past in Warsaw NATO summit demonstrated the discrepancy between the elected organization of the foreign policy of the real challenges and threats. “As a result, Europe was not able to spend any real comprehensive measures against terrorism, which has become a transnational problem, it remains defenseless, and NATO is not a security framework for participating countries,” – said Olga Cowicide.
Author: Dmitry Sergeyev
Video: 16th Sustainment Brigade/ Facebook
Photo: imago stock&people/ Ingo Wagner/ Soeren Stache/ dpa/ Olga Sokolova/ Komsomolskaya Pravda/ Russian Look/ Globallookpress/ defense.gov