U.S. boosts military presence in Europe

The U.S. will make its biggest military expansion in Europe since the Cold War, including its first permanent troop presence in Poland, as part of NATO’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine


U.S. troops: ~100,000 (As of Apr 2022, some deployed on behalf of NATO)

1 Germany 	38,500
2 Italy		12,000 
3 UK		10,000 
4 Poland	10,000
5 Norway 	3,000
6 Spain		2,500
7 Romania 	2,400
8 Turkey	2,000
Others		~19,600


NATO members
(Includes U.S., Canada, Iceland)

Finland and Sweden: NATO membership to be ratified by all 30 alliance members

RUSSIA
RAF Lakenheath base
Poznan
UKRAINE
ATLANTIC OCEAN
Naval Station Rota

1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8


U.S. personnel to be permanently stationed in Europe: ~1,000

1 Poland: Permanent headquarters (HQ) of 5th Army to be created in Poznan – 235 troops

New garrison command and field support battalion to join 5th Army – 176 personnel

2 Germany: One air defence brigade HQ and one engineer brigade HQ – 242 troops

Combat sustainment support battalion HQ – 66 soldiers. Short-range air defence battalion – 315 soldiers

3 Italy: Short-range air defence battery – 63 troops


Rotational units will comprise thousands more soldiers

4 Romania: Brigade combat team of unknown type

5 Baltic countries: Rotational deployments enhanced to include armoured, aviation and special operations forces


Other deployments

6 Spain: Two more Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, increasing U.S. fleet of destroyers in Rota base to six

7 UK: Two squadrons of F-35 stealth jets to be deployed to Lakenheath base to complement existing
F-35 squadron


Sources: U.S. Department of Defense, NATO, Reuters, Armytimes 
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