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4 Sep 2015, 15:52

NATO’s response force makes Russia main hypothetical enemy, says mission

Previously terrorist organizations were named as the main goal of the NATO’s ‘response force’, says the document drafted by Russian mission to NATO

MOSCOW, September 4. /TASS/. NATO’s ‘response force’ (NRF), a subdivision NATO describes as "a highly ready and technologically advanced multinational force made up of land, air, maritime and Special Operations Forces (SOF) components that the Alliance can deploy quickly, wherever needed", has braced itself to rebuff a threat allegedly posed by Russia as the prime external challenge.

This is said in a special analytical review titled ‘Russia-NATO: Facts and Myths’ drafted by the Russian mission to NATO.

"While previously terrorist organizations were named as the main goal of the NRF, as of the middle of 2014 NATO envisions, first and foremost, preparations for and rebuffing of "an aggression by the eastern neighbor" impersonated by Russia," the document said.

"Plans for 2016 suggest an increase of manpower at duty units of the NRF up to 30,000 men and officers," the review says. "To assure coordinated deployment of these groupings along Russia’s borders and to organize joint coaching and collaboration with the national Armed Forces of the host countries, a decision has been taken to set up a chain of six advanced command-and-staff centers in the Baltic countries, Poland, Bulgaria, and Romania."

"NATO is probing into a possibility of placement of similar elements in other countries of the region," the document indicates.

The data available to the mission suggests that NATO is simultaneously considering a logistics support system in Eastern Europe, which will include the facilities for pre-positioned stockpiling of equipment, ammunitions, fuels and lubricants, and other items of materiel.

Advanced deployment of depots for heavy armaments is also moving over to a phase of practical actions from the phase of discussions. In addition, NATO planners are eyeing a major overhaul of the military and civilian infrastructures suiting the purposes of the preparations - a fact reflected in bold relief in the allocation of more than $ 110 million for the purpose in the US defence budget alone.

"The aforementioned facts enable NATO to deploy its forces close to our borders rapidly and, if need be, to create groupings of troops by airlifting units from the continental states of the U.D. and Britain," the report says.

"Also, an agreement with Finland and Sweden on support from the host countries has been signed," the review says. "They legitimize the use of these countries’ territories and infrastructures to ensure relocations of coalition forces to the north of the European continent.".