US Splashes Defence Cash To Counter Russian Aggression

By Nathan Tyler

The Pentagon is proposing quadrupling its budget for European defence to counter the growing challenge of Russia.

Starkly laying out his plans the US Defence Secretary Ash Carter said: "We're taking a strong and balanced approach to deter Russian aggression."

"We haven't had to worry about this for 25 years, and I wish it was otherwise, now we do."

The relationship between Western powers and Vladimir Putin's Russia has badly soured in recent years - firstly over the annexing of Crimea and the war in Ukraine, but most recently with the Kremlin's military intervention in Syria.

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Aimed at demonstrating America's commitment to NATO, the $3.4 billion being channeled towards its European Reassurance Initiative, up from $789 billion, will allow for the posting of more weapons, aircraft and troops. 

US tanks and weapon systems are already deployed in half a dozen former Soviet Bloc countries - aimed at dissuading Mr Putin from further flexing his military muscles.

In 2015 however, the US Air Force announced it was pulling completely out of three airbases in the UK by 2020-23. RAF Mildenhall, RAF Alconbury and RAF Molesworth are all to be sold to housing developers by the MoD.

Read: The Who, What And Where Guide To RAF Mildenhall 

RAF Lakenheath, home to the USAF 48th Fighter Wing, is however set to expand over the next 5 years with an additional 1600 personnel and the replacement of the ageing F-15C Eagle jets with F-35A Joint Strike Fighter aircraft.  

The US military will also retain RAF Fairford as a designated standby base, capable of immediate reactivation with 24 to 48 hours. Run on a 'care and maintenance' basis it has recently hosted visits from transiting US military aircraft -with 'hot pitstops' being conducted for B2 Spirit and B52 bombers along with U2 Dragon Lady spy planes. 

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Mr Carter also indicated that the US would spend an additional $40 billion over the next five years on undersea warfare systems.

China is also causing concern with its rapidly modernising military, a new aircraft carrier capability and the building of artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea. 

Speaking in Washington the US Defence Secretary said: "We must have, and be seen to have, the ability to impose unacceptable costs on an advanced aggressor that will either dissuade them from taking provocative action or make them deeply regret it if they do."

Comment: Why China Is Willing To Risk A Conflict With The USA