HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The Army is pouring equipment into Europe as a show of force to a saber-rattling Russia, including the largest shipment of munitions to the continent since World War II, according to the service’s chief of supply.
At the same time, the service is aiming to base stocks of operational vehicles and equipment in other theaters, including the Pacific Rim, Africa and South America, Gen. Dennis Via, chief of Army Materiel Command (AMC), said Tuesday at the Association of the U.S. Army’s Global Force Expo here.
“The priority is pushing the equipment to Europe, but we have the capacity and ability to address more than one theater,” Via said. “So while the priority is to Europe we are still pushing equipment to the Pacific Rim, to the continent of Africa. We continue to support operations in CENTCOM, which is huge.”
“We know in this complex world, that we live in today we must be capable of responding to multiple contingencies on multiple continents simultaneously.”
The Army has been vocal about establishment of the European Activity Set (EAS) it is sending to that continent to equip a rotational armored brigade. About 200 M1 Abrams tanks will return to Europe as a direct response to Russian aggression and expansionism along NATO’s eastern flank.
At least 87 tanks have arrived in Europe along with 18 M109 Paladin mobile howitzer guns, modified Strykers and other equipment specifically tailored for Army Europe commanders to deter Russia, Via said.
Photo: U.S. Army
“That number changes and it can change dramatically because we are pushing a lot of equipment from a lot of directions very, very quickly,” Via said.
“The Army can meet this requirement,” Via said. “It’s a matter of priorities and it has to be done over time.”
Prepositioned stocks are equipment that is permanently stored abroad in case of a full-scale war. There are five such sets of equipment strategically located around the world and two at sea that are more mobile and in undisclosed locations, Via said.
Activity sets are similar but are primarily used for multi-national training and show-of-force exercises. The sets also are used in operations by rotational forces when they deploy from the United States.
“They fall in on these activity sets that are maintained and ready and they train with their allies” Via said. “It reduces the deployment time for being able to respond to a contingency and it’s the equipment that soldiers are familiar with.”
Army units in Europe also are set to receive 81 up-gunned Strykers mounted with a 30mm cannon to increase their lethality and deterrence factor. Via said the Army recently delivered 5,000 tons of munitions to European Command, the largest shipment since World War II.
“What it demonstrates is…the resolve of the U.S., the capability that our organic industrial base can deliver in terms of munitions. It also speaks to the capability that the United States has through our surface deployment distribution command and our partners at Transportation Command that we can deliver that level of munitions to a theater in a short period of time while we are also supporting multiple operations all over the rest of the world.”
Via said commanders in the Asia-Pacific region and Africa will soon have access to their own prepositioned equipment. The Army plans to deploy a total of eight activity sets around the world that consist of equipment suited to the particular theater and threats unique to each location.
The idea is to give commanders gear that is close to hand in case of an emergency or crisis so they can tailor a rapid and appropriate response.
“We’re building activity sets tailored to the activity in that theater,” Via said.
In the Pacific, activity sets also will be sent to both Vietnam and Cambodia, Via said. One another country yet to be named also will host a set. The Pacific sets will consist of “lighter, tighter” vehicles and equipment than their European counterparts, he said. Their humanitarian-assistance and disaster-relief equipment is prioritized over combat vehicles and munitions, Via said. Plans are in the works to establish a combat support hospital in Cambodia.
A set of equipment for a heavy brigade combat team has been established in South Korea called the Korea Enduring Set. That set was just used during a nine-month deployment of 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division based at Fort Hood, Texas, to Korea, Via said.
“It was the most effective [rotation] we’ve seen in many years working with the Republic of Korea’s ROK Army,” Via said. “It demonstrated U.S. commitment and resolve. It’s our best and most modern equipment, so it sends a signal to our allies in the region and also to potential enemies in the region that the Army is sending its best and brightest in both equipment and personnel.”
Establishing so many equipment sets in such far-flung locations while supplying ongoing combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan is a tall order, Via said.
“Can the Army fulfill these requirements? Yes. But it’s a matter of priorities and it has to be done over time,” he said.