US sends largest ammunition shipment to Europe
The largest batch of ammunition and military supplies in the 21st century has been sent to the US’s Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
The 86th munitions squadron in Europe received roughly 100 containers with a variety of munitions in October, the US Air Force Command in Europe reported.
The shipment, which is to be used in the European Deterrence Initiative, is the largest since the Allied Force operation in 1999, when NATO bombed Yugoslavia.
“The munitions we have received are intended for future operations in the combat theater and for expanding the presence of the US European Command,” said Captain Sgt. David Head of the 86th Munitions Squadron.
Master Sgt. Arthur Myrick said that the shipment will be used to augment the US Air Force’s materiel reserves in Europe.
The US program to reinforce its presence in Europe was initiated by Barack Obama in June 2014 in response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the armed conflict in the Donbas. Its primary stated purposes included maintaining a constant US Armed Forces presence in Central Europe on a rotational basis, and protecting countries threatened by Russia and improving their defensive capabilities.
In June 2018, NATO defense ministers agreed on the “Four 30s” plan, which pledges that by 2020, in the event of a crisis, NATO nations will be able to deploy 30 mechanized battalions, 30 air squadrons and 30 battleships within 30 days or less.
In 2019, a new NATO logistics command center will be established in the German city of Ulm, and will be responsible for the rapid deployment of alliance forces in the event of a crisis or during drills.