Heavy armor for a newly created combined arms unit arrived Tuesday in Bulgaria Wednesday as part of a growing Marine Corps effort to curb Russian influenceaggression in Eastern Europe.
Tanks, artillery and more for the Combined Arms Company arrived at the Novo Selo Training Area 10 days after landing in Bremerhaven, Germany, and traveling by rail about 1,100 miles to their final destination.
The newly arrived armor, for use by the unit's 160 or more Marines, includes four Abrams main battle tanks, three howitzer artillery cannons and six light armored reconnaissance vehicles.
The company is a rotational force that will remain in Bulgaria for at least three six-month rotations, and more could be added, Together, they are the first of at least three six-month rotations to Bulgaria, but more rotations could be added, according to a Marine news release. Marines could be stationed there into 2017 and beyond.
Manning the first rotation are members of 2nd Tank Battalion; 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion; 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion; Combat Logistics Battalion 6; and 1st Battalion, 10th Marines.
"Using this equipment, U.S. Marines will train alongside allies' and partners' mechanized units collectively improving combined arms skills and anti-armor tactics," according to the release.
That is a new capability for Black Sea Rotational Force, the company's parent unit, based in Romania. Between the 500-strong BSRF and the Combined Arms Company, nearly 700 Marines are now stationed in Eastern Europe.
The outgoing commander of BSRF who concluded his tour this month, Lt. Col. David Fallon, who concluded his tour this month, said the new armor in Bulgaria introduces a whole new spectrum of operations to their military-to-military training. Having tanks, armor and artillery at the Marines' disposal means they'll not only serve as a deterrent, but also allows those in armor and artillery specialties to be able to swap best practices with allieds' troops in the region, he said.
Meanwhile, the Air Force is, also for the first time, sending F-22 Raptors fighters to Europe, although they are closely guarding exact details of the imminent deployment.
Deborah Lee James, the Air Force secretary, told reporters Monday that the F-22s stealth fighters are deploying a deployment of F-22s is heading to Europe for training exercises "very soon." James did not specify how many will deploy or and where they will be based, and the size of the Raptor fleet deploying, were not shared due to what James called citing operational security.
The deployments are part of the multi-service European Reassurance Initiative announced in June to soothe NATO allies who are concerned about with Russian saber rattling following its their annexation of Crimea and its continued military support for separatists fighting in eastern Ukraine there in a protracted fighting.
