The United States will contribute weapons, special operations forces, surveillance and transport aircraft to NATO’s new rapid-reaction force, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Monday on a visit to Germany.
Carter’s announcement during a speech in Munster was the first time the Pentagon has detailed what it will contribute to the force established last year at an alliance summit in Wales as a reaction to threats from Russia in Eastern Europe.
U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Associated Press the plan could temporarily increase the number of troops in Europe if there’s a crisis.
The AP quoted Carter as saying the U.S. is contributing aid “because the United States is deeply committed to the defense of Europe, as we have been for decades.”
Carter is on the first leg of a European trip that will include visits to Estonia and Brussels. While en route to Germany, he told reporters that officials are preparing for a long-term rivalry with Russia.
