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Operation Atlantic Resolve

{{Short description|US deployments to Europe in response to Russo-Ukrainian War}}

{{pp-extended|small=yes}}

{{Outdated|date=September 2022|reason=2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine}}

File:Estonia's Admiral Pitka Recon Challenge.jpg, Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, Sweden and the United States at Estonia's annual Admiral Pitka Recon Challenge.]]

Operation Atlantic Resolve, refers to military activities in response to Russian operations in Ukraine, mainly the War in Donbas. It was funded under the European Deterrence Initiative. In the wake of Russia's 2014 invasion of Ukraine, the US and the UK took several immediate steps to enhance the deterrence posture along the eastern flank of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), including augmenting the air, ground and naval presence in the region, and enhancing previously scheduled exercises.{{cite web|last1=U.S. European Command|title=Operation Atlantic Resolve |url=http://www.defense.gov/home/features/2014/0514_atlanticresolve/FactSheet_OperationAtlanticResolve_3Jul14.pdf|website=www.defense.gov|access-date=21 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150505190548/http://www.defense.gov/home/features/2014/0514_atlanticresolve/FactSheet_OperationAtlanticResolve_3Jul14.pdf|archive-date=2015-05-05|url-status=dead}}

The US described the activities as taking measures to enhance NATO military plans and defense capabilities and maintaining a persistent presence in Central Europe and Eastern Europe. Atlantic Resolve rotations are overseen by a regionally aligned headquarters there.{{Cite web|url=https://www.eur.army.mil/AtlanticResolve/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200723162542/https://www.eur.army.mil/AtlanticResolve/|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 23, 2020|title=Atlantic Resolve|website=www.eur.army.mil}}{{cite news |last1=Shinkman |first1=Paul D. |title=U.S. Sends Airborne Infantry to Russian Front Door |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/04/22/us-sends-600-airborne-infantry-troops-to-poland-baltics |access-date=16 December 2020 |publisher=U.S. News & World Report |date=April 22, 2014}}

Airborne operations

On April 30, 2014 United States Army and United States Air Force (USAF) military members were sent to Poland and the Baltic States of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia to conduct military exercises with partner nations in an immediate response to Russian illegal annexation of the Crimean Peninsula on March 18, 2014. This was on done on a bilateral basis, not as part of a larger NATO action.{{cite news |last1=Sgt. A.M. LaVey |title=173rd paratroopers arrive in Poland, Baltics for unscheduled exercises |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/04/22/us-sends-600-airborne-infantry-troops-to-poland-baltics |access-date=16 December 2020 |agency=173rd Airborne Brigade Public Affairs }}{{cite news |last1=LaVey |first1=A.M. |title=173rd paratroopers arrive in Poland, Baltics for unscheduled exercises |url=https://www.army.mil/article/125040/173rd_paratroopers_arrive_in_poland_baltics_for_unscheduled_exercises |access-date=16 December 2020 |agency=173rd Airborne Brigade Public Affairs |publisher=US ARMY |date=May 16, 2014}}

The force consisted of four companies of approximately: 150 soldiers from the 173rd BCT (Brigade Combat Team, airborne) out of Vicenza, Italy and supporting Air Force JTACs (Joint Terminal Attack Controller) from the 2nd ASOS (Air Support Operations Squadron) out of Vilseck, Germany. Troops were transported with assistance from the USAF 37th Airlift Squadron based out of Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The four companies were rotated out every ninety days through to the end of 2014 when a more formal version of Operation Atlantic Resolve was put into place.

Road march

{{main|Operation Dragoon Ride}}

File:3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment Dragoon Ride, Operation Atlantic Resolve 150401-A-HE359-034.jpg soldiers in Germany during the first "Dragoon Ride", April 2015]]

In March 2015, a U.S. Army spokesman in Wiesbaden announced that a convoy of armored fighting vehicles, including Strykers, would return via road to their garrison at Vilseck after manoeuvres in Poland, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania – .{{cite web|url=http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/us-armee-schickt-schuetzenpanzer-in-oestliche-mitgliedstaaten-a-1023733.html|title=Übung "Atlantic Resolve": US-Armee schickt Schützenpanzer durch östliche Nato-Mitgliedstaaten|publisher=SPIEGEL ONLINE|date=16 March 2015}} The road march started a week later.{{cite web|url=http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/nato-in-osteuropa-usa-starten-strassenmarsch-a-1024942.html|title=Solidaritätsaktion: Amerikaner starten "Straßenmarsch" durch Osteuropa|publisher=SPIEGEL ONLINE|date=22 March 2015}}

Assets

=Aerial=

The aerial assets are mostly deployed to Ämari Air Base, Graf Ignatievo Air Base, Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base, Papa Air Base, and Illesheim Army Airfield.

Air Force

The first aerial units were the 159th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron (159th EFS) with McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagle's and the 123d EFS with F-15C's and a single F-15D from April 2015, who stayed for six months.{{cite book|title=AirForces Monthly|date=June 2015|publisher=Key Publishing Ltd|location=Stamford, Lincolnshire, England|pages=46}}

This was added to by the following units:

Army

=Ground=

File:Operation Dragoon Ride Day 4 (16749080029).jpgs during the 2015 "Dragoon Ride".]]

In January 2017, there were 3,500 troops from the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, 87 tanks and 144 Bradley fighting vehicles there. They initially gathered in Poland, before spreading out across seven countries from Estonia to Bulgaria. The brigade is headquartered in Germany.{{cite news|journal=The Independent|title=Biggest shipment of American tanks since the Cold War lands in Germany|quote=Howitzers and fighting vehicles will be joined by thousands of infantry troopers...unloaded in the German port of Bremerhaven...|author=Jon Sharman|date=7 January 2017|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/biggest-shipment-american-tanks-germany-cold-war-russia-aggression-donald-trump-vladimir-putin-nato-a7515066.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220524/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/biggest-shipment-american-tanks-germany-cold-war-russia-aggression-donald-trump-vladimir-putin-nato-a7515066.html |archive-date=2022-05-24 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live}} An armored brigade will constantly rotate deployment every nine months. The equipment will be permanently based in Żagań in western Poland alongside a Polish armored division{{cite news|last1=Gnauck|first1=Gerhard|title=US forces in Poland: Here to stay|url=http://www.dw.com/en/us-forces-in-poland-here-to-stay/a-37130731|access-date=4 February 2017|publisher=DW|date=13 January 2017}} seemingly 34th Armoured Cavalry Brigade, 11th Armoured Cavalry Division. This unit has been replaced by 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division in September 2017.{{cite news|last1=Vandiver|first1=John|title=US New tank brigade arrives in Europe for mission in the east|url=https://www.stripes.com/news/new-tank-brigade-arrives-in-europe-for-mission-in-the-east-1.487385#.WcMhFdtrzIU|access-date=21 September 2017|publisher=Stars and Striples|date=13 September 2017}}

As of May 2018, the rotational force was changed to the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division.{{cite news|last1=Morris|first1=Will|title=Fort Hood armored brigade arrives in Europe, ready to roll into Poland|url=https://www.stripes.com/news/fort-hood-armored-brigade-arrives-in-europe-ready-to-roll-into-poland-1.528383|access-date=21 June 2018|publisher=Stars and Striples|date=22 May 2018}} The 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division completed their rotation during October 2019 and were replaced by the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division.[https://www.army.mil/article/228857/2_1_cd_convoy_marks_the_fifth_iteration Spc. Joseph Knoch (October 23, 2019) 2/1 CD Convoy Marks the Fifth Iteration] 2nd ABCT/1st Cavalry Division from Vlissingen, Netherlands, across Germany to Poland. 2BCT, 1CAV was replaced in approximately November or December 2020 by 1ABCT, 1CAV. In June, 2021 it was announced that 1ABCT, 1ID would replace 1ABCT, 1CAV in August 2021.

File:Operation Atlantic Resolve 141023-Z-SR689-006.jpg soldiers during joint military exercises in Rukla, Lithuania, October 2014]]

On 4 September 2020, the US Army deployed the 2nd Battalion of the 69th Armor Regiment, part of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Division, for training in Pabradė. They deployed with M1 Abrams, Bradley Fighting Vehicle, other vehicles, and material.{{Cite web|date=2 September 2020|title=JAV kariai šį rudenį vėl treniruosis Lietuvoje|trans-title=This Autumn, US Soldiers will train again in Lithuania|url=http://kam.lt/lt/naujienos_874/aktualijos_875/jav_kariai_si_rudeni_vel_treniruosis_lietuvoje_31453.html?fbclid=IwAR12gjCUOKagIyUwYSwaJEFShntb82M64p9K77TB5wOc00H95t2fyQ3aMQc&__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=39c75683cc0b6789f1cdf1563585f5176584efde-1599071382-0-AVrqpvEfXF8uILVFIpb6QxgKgLjaIDokRWcTh_RVaxBbEvV0HDFbGzxQBeMNC74N61oz9KKoHSFgmtR_boW0G8yslE3ZL3Dl-Xxs97DdasV0O_lrWes8Fu1EzudKI5VW7Ppr47nV7AB7udqe_InIM4tU08yXUOHFAIEEWodsBjyzQ60zj2mnG-SHMnjcMs6ooRODDjBX7VDdI6RBwWyXBxBMojqLT2tmTVlv39THjoKfHjjAmedHBFkn8OKfYjfdgOlgYHqg45S78lOocm-zo3Va9ZN1E7lMKgNqTzE2K0KVAsmfNOcsNL75zLGMCJtTFZMU8DVE2nLaPatom89-2dVjaNsv25QV3X_hAZ6i9cCjMEEI6vgG5vqEe1AJGkx-aMcpjOZsk7_4vYFJn9TxHksnncOehi_KMF9zA8rwYhRDt3Djfn9dNiHM8GrAjdGC9YiP5h8zCEozgiZzuK4ebp9VdNV9KrLonXmR-GN6edhylmM-rLoY-bPooTAGoNgu3_VM2mTGP7awyYaT39Ph1uMBLmK_4CaVLks7-xaYynoh|access-date=2 September 2020|language=lt}}

On 8 March 2022, V Corps' main headquarters forward deployed to Germany to provide additional command and control of U.S. Army forces in Europe as part of a larger personnel build up in response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Reactions

82% of Czechs approved and supported the United States Army-NATO convoy that partook in Operation Dragoon Ride, in an opinion poll that was conducted by the independent STEM agency in 2015.{{cite web|url=http://zpravy.idnes.cz/odjezd-americkych-obrnencu-z-ceska-dragouni-fzp-/domaci.aspx?c=A150401_053035_domaci_jw|title=Dragouni odjeli. Američané zamávali v Rozvadově a vyrazili domů|date=1 April 2015|work=Mladá fronta DNES|publisher=iDNES|language=cs|access-date=8 April 2015}}

A NATO deployment in the early January 2017 was welcomed by Polish officials, who described it as a necessary response to Russian military exercises near its border and its military intervention in Ukraine and members of the public as the materiel crossed into south-western Poland from Germany.{{cite news|last1=Pearse|first1=Damien|title=Poland welcomes 3,500 US troops amid fears over Russia aggression|url=http://news.sky.com/story/poland-welcomes-3500-us-troops-amid-fears-over-russia-aggression-10728772|agency=Sky News|publisher=Sky News}}{{cite news|last1=MacAskill|first1=Ewen|title=Russia says US troops arriving in Poland pose threat to its security|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/12/doubts-over-biggest-us-deployment-in-europe-since-cold-war-under-trump|agency=The Guardian|work=The Guardian|date=12 January 2017}}{{cite news|title=US tanks and troops in Poland a threat, Russia says|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-38592448|agency=BBC|publisher=BBC|date=12 January 2017}}{{cite news|last1=Gera|first1=Vanessa|title='We waited for decades': Polish govt welcomes US troops|url=http://www.bigstory.ap.org/article/d95657819d1446ef92c0e4a5efb43df5/we-waited-decades-polish-govt-welcomes-us-troops|agency=AP|publisher=AP|date=14 January 2017|access-date=16 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116184826/http://www.bigstory.ap.org/article/d95657819d1446ef92c0e4a5efb43df5/we-waited-decades-polish-govt-welcomes-us-troops|archive-date=16 January 2017|url-status=dead}} The same deployment sparked protests in Germany and prompted a critical reaction among the country’s centre-left political parties, but was defended by the country’s ruling CDU/CSU coalition and German military officials.{{cite news|last1=ROGERS|first1=JON|title='Tanks do not create peace' Germany fumes at huge build-up of tanks at Russian borders|url=http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/752155/Germany-Nato-build-up-tanks-Russia-border|agency=Daily Express|publisher=Daily Express|date=January 9, 2017}}{{cite news|last1=Scally|first1=Derek|title=Nato deployment begins against possible Russian aggression|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/nato-deployment-begins-against-possible-russian-aggression-1.2928164|agency=The Irish Times|date=January 6, 2017}}

An article about the deployment that was published by the Donbas News International (DNI) agency and its subsequent circulation in the Western conspiracy-theory cybersphere and Russian mediasphere was cited as an example of the creation and spread of fake news.{{cite news|last1=Nimmo|first1=Ben|title=Three thousand fake tanks|url=https://medium.com/@DFRLab/three-thousand-fake-tanks-575410c4f64d#.mpe194bt3|agency=Medium|publisher=Medium}} An editorial by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette cautioned anyone against using the deployment as a domestic political tool.{{cite news|title=Troop movements: Curious timing for U.S. and NATO border buildup|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/editorials/2017/01/10/Troop-movements-Curious-timing-for-U-S-and-NATO-border-buildup-nbsp/stories/201701100014|agency=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|publisher=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|date=January 10, 2017}}

See also

References

{{reflist}}

External links

{{commons category|Operation Atlantic Resolve}}

  • {{cite web|publisher=United States Department of Defense|url=https://www.defense.gov/home/features/2014/0514_atlanticresolve/|title=Operation Atlantic Resolve|quote=The United States is demonstrating its continued commitment to collective security through a series of actions designed to reassure NATO allies and partners of America's dedication to enduring peace and stability in the region in light of the Russian intervention in Ukraine.}}
  • [https://media.defense.gov/2025/Feb/13/2003646507/-1/-1/1/OAR_Q1_DEC2024_FINAL_508_2.PDF Operation Atlantic Resolve OCTOBER 1, 2024–DECEMBER 31, 2024]
  • {{cite web|url=http://www.eur.army.mil/atlanticresolve/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150914215752/http://www.eur.army.mil/atlanticresolve/|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 14, 2015|title=Atlantic Resolve|publisher=United States Army Europe}}

{{Russia–United States relations}}

{{Ukraine–United States relations}}

Category:2010s in Europe

Atlantic Resolve

Atlantic Resolve

Category:Russia–United States relations

Category:Ukraine–United States relations

Category:War in Donbas