Heavy military equipment cannot be quickly redeployed from Western Europe to the Eastern flank of the Alliance.
At the moment the aggressor state Russia could seize the Baltic States before NATO can react to the Russian invasion. In an interview with German newspaper Die Zeit during military exercises in Poland, aimed at improving mobility, said the force commander of the U.S. army in Europe, Lieutenant General Ben Hodges.
“Russia could take over the Baltic States faster than we have time to get there to protect them”.
According to the American military, NATO exercises in Poland revealed a number of serious shortcomings in the training of the forces of the Alliance. He also agreed with the assessment of military analysts that Russia would need to capture the three Baltic countries from 36 to 60 hours, whereas NATO would not be able to mobilize its forces quickly enough to prevent such a development.
Especially serious problem is the fact that heavy military equipment, including tanks, it is impossible to quickly transfer from Western Europe to the Eastern flank of the Alliance, said Hodges.
Also, the General expressed concern about communication technology. “No radio, no e-mail are not protected channels. I guess everything I write on my BlackBerry, being tracked”, – he concluded.
