Europe's Indispensable Role: Why the Pentagon Needs the Continent, Despite Trump's Discomfort

United States - Ekhbary News Agency

Europe's Indispensable Role: Why the Pentagon Needs the Continent, Despite Trump's Discomfort

The fundamental truth that the United States' defense capabilities are as reliant on Europe as Europe is on American security is a strategic cornerstone. Yet, former President Donald Trump has cultivated an approach that seems to foster fear among allies rather than mutual trust, often overlooking the critical interdependence that underpins these vital partnerships. For the past 13 months, Trump has consistently treated European allies as subordinate entities, a stance that starkly contrasts with the Pentagon's operational realities, particularly concerning the extensive network of US military bases across the continent.

As the Munich Security Conference convenes, this strategic reality becomes both more apparent and more conveniently ignored. Currently, a significant aerial operation is underway, originating from the United States, transiting through Europe, and extending towards the Middle East. Key US military installations, including Lakenheath in the United Kingdom, Rota and Morón in Spain, Lajes in Portugal, and Chania in Greece, are serving as essential staging points for the deployment of a substantial military apparatus aimed at encircling Iran.

This operation echoes similar large-scale deployments from the past. Last June, the US Navy utilized European bases to protect Israeli airspace during the 12-day conflict with Iran and subsequently conducted airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities. Eight months prior, Washington orchestrated another major aeronaval deployment in the Middle East, an operation that, like the current one, would have been impossible without the strategic utility of its European bases.

The logistical infrastructure of the United States in Europe represents a colossal, yet often overlooked, asset. While precise official figures remain elusive, the sheer scale is undeniable. A February 2024 Congressional report acknowledged "31 enduring bases and 19 additional sites" accessible to the Department of Defense in the region. A year prior, the Council on Foreign Relations think tank estimated the number of bases to be over 40. This network extends from the northwestern edge of Greenland, approximately 1,500 kilometers from the geographic North Pole. These installations host around 85,000 US service members, although the Trump administration had aimed to reduce this number to approximately 65,000. Furthermore, the Pentagon maintains around one hundred nuclear warheads at various sites across Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, and Turkey.

However, these numbers represent only a fraction of the United States' military footprint in Europe. To the Pentagon, the continent is not merely a collection of bases but an integrated logistical network, with Germany and, to a lesser extent, the United Kingdom serving as central hubs. This network enables the projection of American military power into other global regions. Enduring bases are just one component; the infrastructure also includes military and civilian facilities where the US has access rights under specific agreements. Additionally, prepositioned sites function as depots for vast quantities of equipment, while rotational bases host units on a temporary basis. Command and control centers, radar installations, and electronic warfare facilities further enhance this strategic web. The result is hundreds of points of access available to the US, each with distinct operational parameters.

The functions of these bases are diverse. While the defense of Europe against Russia, and previously the Soviet Union, remains a role, its relative importance has diminished. Today, the US infrastructure in Europe primarily serves as a critical launchpad for operations targeting the Middle East, Africa, and the Arctic. Several destroyers that patrolled the Black Sea before the 2014 Russian invasion of Ukraine, and which intercepted Iranian missile launches against Israel in June, are based in Rota. Tanker aircraft that refueled French fighter jets attacking Islamist militants in Africa for years were stationed in Morón, one of the two European bases from which the US conducted airstrikes against Iraq in 1991. The growing strategic significance of the Arctic, exacerbated by climate change melting polar ice, further elevates Europe's value as a platform in that operational theater.

This multifaceted role underscores the profound interdependence between the two sides of the Atlantic. The security of Israel and other US allies in the Middle East is intrinsically linked to European stability and access. Similarly, projecting US military power into the Arctic and Africa relies heavily on the continent. Notably, the headquarters of the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) is located in Stuttgart, Germany.

Southern, Central, and Western Europe function as vital logistical hubs for the United States. Were the US Department of Defense to lose access to this region, response times to crises in Eurasia, the Middle East, or North Africa would stretch from days to weeks. A 2024 analysis by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) posits that in a European conflict scenario, the US would be unable to control the Atlantic without its bases in the UK, Spain, and Italy. The Pentagon itself designates Europe as a "critical strategic platform" for operations in the Middle East and Africa. This extends even to medical support, with the primary military hospital for US Central Command (CENTCOM) located in Ramstein, Germany, near the French border.

The entire system operates with remarkable efficiency. The era of anti-American slogans like "Yankees, go home!" or "No to NATO, bases out!" is largely a relic of the past. Today, US aircraft are en route to the Middle East carrying not only armaments but also advanced anti-missile systems recently deployed in Jordan. Significantly, there are no widespread protests reminiscent of the nine-year peace camp at Greenham Common in the UK, which emerged when NATO deployed nuclear-armed missiles in 1982. Even acts of terrorism, like the 1985 "El Descanso" restaurant bombing that killed 18 Spaniards in an attempt to target US military personnel from the nearby Torrejón de Ardoz base, are largely unremembered, with last year marking the 40th anniversary without significant public commemoration.

This shift is largely attributed to the reduced visibility of military installations. The Pentagon now favors a strategy of "light footprint" bases, often referred to as "lily pads." This evolution reflects changes in US military organization following the Soviet Union's collapse, which led to a massive reduction in US forces in Western Europe from a peak of nearly half a million in the 1950s. The military adopted private sector management techniques, including flexible inventory management inspired by retailers like Walmart, emphasizing lean logistics akin to the Toyota model. This approach involves storing equipment (such as weapons) closer to areas of potential conflict to facilitate rapid deployment and response. The Russian invasions of Ukraine in 2014 and 2022 have further reinforced the strategic importance of this adaptable basing strategy.