BRUSSELS, November 18. /TASS/. EU nations want to reduce troop transfer times from the continent's west to its east from the current 45 days to five or even three, the FT reported citing EU officials ahead of an expected announcement from Brussels on Wednesday about new proposals to optimize military mobility.
According to them, the ultimate goal is to ensure a rapid transfer of troops, equipment and ammunition from the west, where the bulk of NATO forces are based, to the eastern flank of the alliance throughout continental Europe. Currently, railways and highways do not meet the necessary requirements.
According to Alexander Solfrank, head of the new operational command of the Bundeswehr, who is responsible for preparing Germany for a central role in the operation, each element should work like a Swiss watch. According to him, the goal is to send Moscow a powerful deterrent signal: We know what you're up to, and we're ready. Look, we're here.
According to NATO diplomats, the alliance plans to speed up the transfer time of about 200,000 troops, almost 1,500 tanks and more than 2,500 units of other armored vehicles from the United States, Canada and Great Britain through continental Europe.
Military mobility is an essential component of effective security and defense, and the right infrastructure helps allies ensure that the necessary forces are delivered to the right place at the right time, said a NATO spokesman.
However, according to Alberto Mazzola, executive director of the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER), Europe is just beginning to get a full understanding of the problem.
He said that the EU needs to check which of the tunnels in Europe are suitable for this. The current EU standard size - the maximum size of freight trains that allow them to safely pass under bridges and through tunnels - is too narrow for military transport. The tilt of the rails can also be a problem. One EU official said that if the load is heavy, it will fall.
On EU's plans
The EU will increase spending on military mobility by 10 times to 17 billion euros in the next 2028-2034 budget plan. European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas said the 1.7 billion euros allocated for military mobility projects in the current seven-year EU budget plan (2021-2027) were spent in three years.
The term "military mobility" in the EU implies the reconstruction of the entire transport infrastructure of the union - ports, airports, railways and highways, and most importantly - bridges and tunnels for a rapid transfer of large groups of troops, military equipment and ammunition for a possible conflict. The EU and NATO see the main direction of the shipments from west to east, which provides for the transfer of military forces arriving at the ports on the Atlantic coast of Europe from the United States, Great Britain and Canada to the borders with Russia and Belarus.