It’s always noteworthy when the U.S. military conducts a show of force to starkly highlight national resolve and attempt to turn around a worsening situation. These operations are also shows of support and assurance for friends and allies of America to signal our ongoing commitment to their security.
Two years ago, President Barack Obama authorized a show of force near the Korean peninsula, including stealthy B-2 bombers. The moves were intended to showcase American military might, warn the supreme leader of North Korea and reinforce our treaty ally in South Korea.
The latest country intended to get the clear message: Russia. For nearly two weeks in March, the U.S. Army conducted a 100-vehicle convoy with helicopters and other aircraft circling overhead through six eastern European countries. This 1,100 mile vehicular road march was the Army’s longest across Europe since World War II.
Operation Dragoon Ride cavalry forces, including about 60 Stryker armored fighting vehicles, traveled through Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, the Czech Republic and Germany. At each nightly stop, U.S. forces would work with local militaries and interact with the public to increase popular support.
On the heels of this multi-nation military convoy is the recent prediction by a senior U.S. Air Force leader that fifth-generation F-22 air superiority fighter jets are probably headed to Europe soon to counter the threat from Russia. Policymakers are clearly trying to up the ante, as rotations of security packages have graduated from A-10s and F-15s to some of the most capable aircraft in America’s inventory.
America’s increasingly mighty shows of force in Europe are designed to shape perceptions, reassure our allies, influence our potential foes, and change the outcome of events for the better by simply being there on the ground, building relationships, trust and, in some cases, capability. However, the drawback of this approach is that there are limitations to using temporary, rotational forces when the challenges from Russian aggression are not going away anytime soon.
As the commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe noted, previous rotational forces before 2014 did not warrant a high-enough level of priority for certain capabilities like the F-22 because of urgent needs elsewhere around the world. It’s time for defense officials to make permanent again the increased U.S. military commitment to Europe.
As the old saying goes, “out of sight, out of mind.” Shows of force are an important demonstration of our resolve, but they cannot substitute for a regular, daily and permanent commitment of U.S. forces to the region.
Congressional and Pentagon leaders must redouble America’s partnership with European allies. They should start by heeding the advice of the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, and Commander of U.S. European Command General Philip Breedlove, who recently told Capitol Hill, “Rotating presence is no substitute for permanent force presence.”
Mackenzie Eaglen is a resident fellow at the Marilyn Ware Center for Security Studies at the American Enterprise Institute. She has worked on defense issues in the U.S. Congress, at the Pentagon’s Office of the Secretary of Defense and on the Joint Staff.
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