EUCOM Needs More Capacity to Deal with Russian Threat

A proper response to Russian aggression in Europe “requires us to have more capacity,” Army Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, commander of US European Command and NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, told the Senate Armed Services Committee Thursday. “I don’t have the submarine or carrier capacity” needed “to deter Russia and assure our allies,” he confirmed. Curtis clarified that while he had “enough” capacity to accomplish the job, EUCOM capacity was short of “ideal.” He also said he needs more munitions, so that Russian advances don’t “outpace us.” The call for greater capacity is particularly crucial because, on the strategic front, Scaparrotti advised that the US must “increase our presence” in Europe. The goal of Russia’s aggression, he said, is to “present themselves as a global power.” This means that Russia is “not necessarily concerned about the outcome” of conflicts in Syria or Afghanistan. As such, he said the US should “confront them in each of these incidents,” and also “sail and fly everywhere that is within international norms” in order to show Russia that “we have every right to be there.”