A Cold War-era storage facility in the Netherlands has been reopened and restocked with tanks by the US military, as part of a drive to demonstrate Nato's power amid rising Russian aggression.
The Dutch military base in Eygelshoven will house elements of the army’s “strategically prepositioned critical war stock” — including Abrams tanks, Bradley fighting vehicles and Paladin self-propelled howitzers.
The added equipment will make it possible for the US military to form a heavily armoured brigade in Europe, in addition to the two light ones already in operation.
General Ben Hodges told NBC News he did not think a Russian attack was imminent and the measures were precautionary.
“I think an attack is unlikely, but the best way to keep it unlikely is demonstrating the capability and demonstrating the will, and that is what this APS site [Army Prepositioned Stocks (APS)] represents,” he said.
“Deterrents means you have to have credible capability, so in 2017 – what we’re calling the year of execution – we’re going to take that strategic guidance and implement it.
“And the manifestation of that is tanks coming back to Europe, rotational forces, enhanced forward presence [...] and more sophisticated exercises to demonstrate that capability.”
The Defence Authorisation Act, passed earlier in December by Congress with little opposition, approved measures to boost European defenses at a cost of $3.4bn.
As part of the proposals, the US will reopen or establish five equipment-storage sites in the Netherlands, Poland, Belgium and two places in Germany, in positions designed to help get weaponry to a location where conflict is possible quickly.
The incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump has indicated it will take a warmer approach to Russia, but has not said whether it will change Cognress' plans for rolling extra arms into europe.
US and Dutch officials pointed out the warehouses storing the weapons were not on the border of Nato’s border with Russia, which would be against an agreement with the former Soviet nation and would be perceived as provocative.
