Where is the closest US military base to Russia?

The United States of America is estimated to have at least 750 military bases in up to 80 countries around the world – but where are the closest US bases to Russian territory?

Actual numbers of US bases could be higher because not all information is published by the Pentagon, but some candidates for bases within close range of Russian turf can be narrowed down from details that are in the public domain.

US armed forces also have a presence in other sites alongside NATO which now has multinational battlegroups in Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia, but there are a number of US-controlled 'base sites' that have relatively close proximity to Russia.

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The US Missile Defence Base at Redzikowo, in northern Poland, which is due to become operational this year but which has already hosted a contingent of sailors from the US Navy, is located less than 200km from Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave on the Baltic Sea.

If calculating the distance to the Russian mainland, specifically the capital city of Moscow, then the distance is 1,305km. 

The construction of the base began in 2016 to ensure the defence of Poland and NATO member states against ballistic missile attacks.

On Russia's eastern flank, the closest US military site is perhaps the Eareckson Air Station, on the Alaskan island of Shemaya. The military airport is located less than 500km from Russian territory. 

While there are US, as well as UK, troops deployed in various Baltic countries right on Russia's western border, these are not considered US bases of permanent nature.

The US military has about 750 "base sites" around the world.

According to Professor David Vine, author of 'The United States of War: A Global History of America's Endless Conflicts, from Columbus to the Islamic State', these military sites are situated in more than 80 countries and colonies outside of the US.

The lack of transparency and secrecy surrounding some of the US bases overseas makes it difficult to compile a fully accurate list.

In previous years, the Pentagon has published data on its bases in the 'Base Structure Report'. The annual report is Congressionally mandated, but the Pentagon has failed to release it since 2018. Moreover, according to Professor Vine, it is "notoriously incomplete, and at times inaccurate".

The UK has the second-largest global military presence after the US with a permanent presence at 145 base sites in 41 countries or territories around the world.

Russia is the biggest country in the world, spanning more than 17.1 million km². Stretching across two continents, the Eurasian country covers 11 time zones.

Russia borders 14 countries, sharing a maritime border with the US and Japan on its eastern flank and even a narrow border with North Korea. On its western side, meanwhile, it hugs four NATO states – Poland, Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania. Its border to the north is Finland, soon to become a member of NATO alongside Sweden.

The US has military bases within striking distance of Russia both in Europe and Asia.

US military bases in Europe

The biggest US Air Force bases in Europe are in Ramstein, Germany, and Royal Air Force Fairford, in the UK.

While there are 21 US bases in Germany, the air force base in Ramstein is the biggest. The distance between it and Moscow is 2,103.04km.

Even before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the US has been building up its military infrastructure in Europe, with much of the funding going towards US Air Force sites.

This, in theory, would ensure a rapid response from the US military if Russia was ever to attack a NATO member state such as Estonia. The various bases and airfields across Eastern Europe would serve as locations from which to rapidly deploy or reload and refuel.

Since 2017, NATO and US military presence in Poland has been rapidly increasing, with various US and NATO bases all over the country.

The US Missile Defence Base at Redzikowo is home to the Aegis weapons system. According to the US Navy, the Aegis weapons control system was "designed as a total weapon system, from detection to kill". The computer and radar system tracks and guides weapons to destroy enemy targets.

Other countries in Europe where the US has military bases are Italy, Kosovo, Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Bulgaria.

US Military bases in Asia

Russia shares a maritime border with Japan, with the disputed Russian Kuril islands and the island of Sakhalin are only 50km away from Japan. The US has hundreds of military bases in Japan, many of them very close in distance to Russia's eastern flank.

Similarly, although South Korea does not share a border with Russia, it has many US bases. The closest US military base in Korea is Camp Hovey, which is only 713km away from the major Russian port city of Vladivostok.

Kyrgyzstan, a Russian ally, has both a US Air Force transit base and Russian military bases on its territory.

NATO bases and installations

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, western powers and military alliances have been rapidly expanding their presence in Russia's former sphere of influence.

Many Warsaw pact countries such as Estonia, and Latvia, which border mainland Russia, became NATO members, while Poland and Lithuania, which border the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, also became member states in 1999 and 2004 respectively.

Right on Russia's doorstep, the Baltic countries play a key role in NATO's enhanced Forward Presence (eFP). As part of the eFP, British troops are leading a multinational battlegroup deployed in Estonia, named Operation Cabrit.

Meanwhile, on the Estonia-Latvia border, exercise Hedgehog brings 15,000 troops from 14 countries together every three to four years. It is the largest military exercise of its kind, designed to train troops to withstand a potential Russian invasion.

What about Alaska?

Alaska and Russia are incredibly close in distance, in fact, the coldest US state used to be part of Russia until it was sold to the United States in 1867.

The shortest distance between mainland Russia and mainland USA is 88km. Separating the two countries is the Bering Strait which freezes in the winter, making it, in theory, possible to walk from the US to Russia.

In the Bering Strait lie two islands, Big and Little Diomede. They are 4km apart, but Big Diomede belongs to Russia, while Little Diomede is part of the United States. Alaska being on Russia's doorstep leads many to believe that the US base closest to Russia must be in Alaska.

There are nine military bases in Alaska, including Eielson Air Force Base which is about 1,000km from Russia.

Until 1994, the closest US military base was the Shemya Air Force Base located on the island of the same name. Shemya Island is less than 500km away from Russian territory.

After the base was shut down in 1994, it was renamed Eareckson Air Station and remains an active United States Air Force military airport. Fighter jets such as F-16s, have been stationed here, ready to be deployed into Russian territory at a moment's notice.   

The six-mile-square island is home to the Cobra Dane Radar. The Cold War technology became operational in 1977, its purpose was to gather intelligence on Russian intercontinental ballistic missiles.

A clear advantage was being so close to the Russian Kamchatka peninsula where the Soviet Kura Missile Test Range was located. 

The Cobra Dane Radar has undergone several upgrades since the end of the Cold War, most notably in 2004 when it was upgraded to perform missile defence missions. 

Running the 95m diameter radar is expensive. In 2013, it was proposed to run the radar at quarter capacity to save $5m a year. However, due to threats from North Korea, the air force made the decision to leave the radar operating at full capacity.

In 2016, Raytheon, one of the largest defence manufacturers in the world, signed a new contract to support the maintenance of the radar.