The European Deterrence Initiative: A Budgetary Overview (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
Revised July 1, 2021 |
| Report Number |
IF10946 |
| Report Type |
In Focus |
| Authors |
Pat Towell, Aras D. Kazlauskas |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
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Summary:
When the Cold War ended and the Soviet Union fell, U.S.
force numbers in Europe decreased from about 315,000
deployed personnel in 1989, to about 65,000 as of March
2018. In view of this reduction and hostile Russian military
actions in Ukraine and across Europe, Eastern European
allies have voiced concern that NATO may not be
adequately postured to defend them against Russian
aggression.
The European Deterrence Initiative (EDI) began as the
European Reassurance Initiative (ERI) in June 2014 to
reassure NATO allies in Central and Eastern Europe of a
continued U.S. commitment to their national security after
the Russian military intervention in Ukraine that March. In
FY2017 Congress increased funding substantially, offering
further military support for NATO allies Lithuania, Latvia,
Estonia, Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria. EDI has enabled
the continuous nine-month rotational deployment of an
Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT) in Europe of
about 3,300 personnel since February 2017, along with a
Combat Aviation Brigade of about 1,700 personnel that
provides rotational helicopter support to training and other
missions across Europe.
The current rotation of forces allows each U.S. ABCT to
experience deploying to Central and Eastern European
countries. One potential benefit is that it may increase
overall U.S. and NATO readiness. A possible concern
however, is that a rotational force may be more expensive
over time than a permanent military presence in the region.
The Polish government offered in May 2018 to pay up to $2
billion for infrastructure to support a permanent U.S.
military presence there, along with the use of state
infrastructure by U.S. forces. A permanent presence may
have the opportunity to foster closer professional and
cultural ties with a host nation and allied military
counterparts, and may signal greater U.S. resolve to deter
Russian aggression.
