House Armed Service Committee taking a look at the US defense posture in #Europe
"#Russia is becoming more aggressive, not less" per HASC Chair @RepAdamSmith "Our need to have a deterrence there is enormously important"
Some background: voanews.com/usa/us-pulling…
"I also am concerned about the effect it [US force posture in #Europe] has on our partnerships" per @RepAdamSmith
"We definitely need friends & allies more than ever..." he says, referring to @NATO
"If we do things to undermine the alliance in what appears to be a gratuitous way, without working w/them, without listening to them, it undermines the strength of that alliance and plays right into #Russia's hands" per @RepAdamSmith
"Some of these moves seem to make sense on their face, for example, moving @US_EUCOM to be close to #NATO headquarters, having a greater presence in the #Balkans" per HASC ranking member @MacTXPress "But there needs to be an overall strategic plan that is coordinated w/allies"
"This concept to reposition our forces in Europe constitutes a major strategic shift" per @DeptofDefense Acting UnderSec for Policy James Anderson, but says it is "fully in-line w/the NDS [National Defense Strategy]"
"Large formations of permanent forces can present vulnerabilities & are not best suited to respond to emergent threats" per @thejointstaff Dir for Strategy, Plans & Policy LtGen David Allvin
"Episodic introduction of forces across the region presents dilemmas to potential adversaries while providing the secretary & the president w/the flexibility & capacity to rapidly respond to emergent threats across the globe" adds LtGen Allvin
As this hearing takes place, #France Defense Minister @florence_parly is tweeting about @NATO
"The basic advantage of rotational forces is that they provide additional flexibility" @DeptofDefense's Anderson tells @RepAdamSmith when pressed on move away from permanent forces
"That is the main advantage"
"Flexibility to do what?" asks @RepAdamSmith "What are the downsides?"
"I don't see any downsides" per @DeptofDefense's Anderson "There is a cost involved in transitioning..." adding still value in some cases to have permanent forces, like with key airbases
"Prior to the public rollout, we did speak w/our @NATO allies" Anderson says of July announcement about pulling almost 12,000 troops from #Germany
"I've met w/several either ambassadors or defense ministers & my sense is that this caught them all by surprise" per @MacTXPress
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