Showing posts with label US Military Budget. Show all posts
Showing posts with label US Military Budget. Show all posts
1/9/15
US Military Presence in Europe: US Shuttering 15 European Bases Under Cost Cutting Plan - by Adam Kredo
The U.S. military is set to shutter 15 sites across Europe and reduce
the number of active personnel stationed in these areas as the result
of a wide-ranging restructuring that aims to consolidate some operations
on the continent, the Pentagon announced Thursday.
The European restructuring is the culmination of a two-year consolidation plan known as the European Infrastructure
The largest force withdrawal will take place across three UK-based bases. Fifteen sites in all will be returned by the United States to their host nations, the Pentagon told reporters on Thursday when announcing the finalized EIC plan, which is reminiscent of a previous decade-long realignment following the Cold War.
Germany, Italy, and Portugal also will be most impacted by the restructure. It is expected that local support staff at the bases will lose their jobs.
The Pentagon hopes to save around $500 million annually as a result of the wide-ranging restructure, which comes as the U.S. military battles against widespread budgetary cuts and growing international challenges across Europe and the Middle East.
While Pentagon officials have defended the realignment as necessary to cut costs, some critics say that the restructure may send a message of weakness at a time when nations such as Russia are increasing their rogue behaviors.
Note EU-Digest: Thanks for the memories, but it is high time that Europe moves away from being the "front-line" of the US defense perimeter.
Still quite a few bases left which if closed could save the US at least an additional $1 billion. Local employees given the skills they posses are certainly easily employable in many sectors of of the local economy.
Read more: U.S. to Shutter 15 European Bases Under Cost Cutting Plan | Washington Free Beacon
The European restructuring is the culmination of a two-year consolidation plan known as the European Infrastructure
The largest force withdrawal will take place across three UK-based bases. Fifteen sites in all will be returned by the United States to their host nations, the Pentagon told reporters on Thursday when announcing the finalized EIC plan, which is reminiscent of a previous decade-long realignment following the Cold War.
Germany, Italy, and Portugal also will be most impacted by the restructure. It is expected that local support staff at the bases will lose their jobs.
The Pentagon hopes to save around $500 million annually as a result of the wide-ranging restructure, which comes as the U.S. military battles against widespread budgetary cuts and growing international challenges across Europe and the Middle East.
While Pentagon officials have defended the realignment as necessary to cut costs, some critics say that the restructure may send a message of weakness at a time when nations such as Russia are increasing their rogue behaviors.
Note EU-Digest: Thanks for the memories, but it is high time that Europe moves away from being the "front-line" of the US defense perimeter.
Still quite a few bases left which if closed could save the US at least an additional $1 billion. Local employees given the skills they posses are certainly easily employable in many sectors of of the local economy.
Read more: U.S. to Shutter 15 European Bases Under Cost Cutting Plan | Washington Free Beacon
2/9/13
US missile shield in Europe could be scrapped
Secret Defense Department studies cast doubt on whether a multibillion-dollar missile defense system planned for Europe can ever protect the U.S. from Iranian missiles as intended, congressional investigators say.
Military officials say they believe they can overcome the problems and are moving forward with plans. But proposed fixes could prove difficult. One possibility has been ruled out as technically unfeasible. A second, relocating missile interceptors planned for Poland and possibly Romania to ships on the North Sea, could be diplomatically troublesome.
The studies are the latest to highlight serious problems for a plan that has been criticized on several fronts.
Republicans claim it was developed hastily in an attempt to appease Russia, which had opposed an earlier system. But Russia is also critical of the plan, which it believes is really intended to counter its missiles. A series of governmental and scientific reports has raised questions about whether it would ever work as planned.
At a time that the military faces giant budget cuts, the studies could lead Congress to reconsider whether it is worthwhile to spend billions for a system that may not fulfill its original goals.
Read more: Report: APNewsBreak: Report casts doubt on US missile shield in Europe protecting America - The Washington Post
Military officials say they believe they can overcome the problems and are moving forward with plans. But proposed fixes could prove difficult. One possibility has been ruled out as technically unfeasible. A second, relocating missile interceptors planned for Poland and possibly Romania to ships on the North Sea, could be diplomatically troublesome.
The studies are the latest to highlight serious problems for a plan that has been criticized on several fronts.
Republicans claim it was developed hastily in an attempt to appease Russia, which had opposed an earlier system. But Russia is also critical of the plan, which it believes is really intended to counter its missiles. A series of governmental and scientific reports has raised questions about whether it would ever work as planned.
At a time that the military faces giant budget cuts, the studies could lead Congress to reconsider whether it is worthwhile to spend billions for a system that may not fulfill its original goals.
Read more: Report: APNewsBreak: Report casts doubt on US missile shield in Europe protecting America - The Washington Post
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