THE US will spend £160 million building air bases in Europe in order to counter “Russian aggression”, it has been revealed.
Airfields, training sites ranges and other military installations are to be built across Eastern Europe close to Russian borders as well as in Iceland and Norway.
It is part of the £3.4 billion European Deterrence Initiative (EDI) aimed at “reassuring” NATO’s European allies.
An EDI report says: “As we continue to address the dynamic security environment in Europe, EDI funding increases our capabilities to deter and defend against Russian aggression.
“Additionally, these significant investments will further galvanise US support to the collective defence of our NATO Allies, as well as bolster the security and capacity of our US partners.”
Nine bases will be modernised including bases in Latvia, Estonia, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Luxembourg.
These bases will temporarily house high-tech stealth fighters like the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Strike Fighter and reconnaissance assets to hunt down Russian subs.
A Spokesman for US European Command, Major Juan Martinez said: “While we can’t provide specific details on future operations and locations, we continuously look for opportunities for our fifth-generation aircraft to conduct interoperability training with our allies and partners in the European theatre.”
The naval air station Keflavik in Iceland is set to undergo a £10 million modernisation.
This will see new hangers being added to host P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol planes.
The aircraft dubbed the “submarine killer,” is equipped with torpedoes, depth charges, Harpoon anti-ship missiles and other weaponry.
Mr Martinez added that large-scale infrastructure upgrades across Europe do not mean US troops will be stationed there permanently but stick to rotations, as they have done in the past.
The increased US-led NATO activity has been getting increasingly costly for the American taxpayer.
In 2018, the EDI budget will jump from £899 million to £2.5 billion.
In October, NATO launched a new multinational force in Romania as a response to “Russian aggression” in the Crimean peninsula.
Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu says NATO is aggressively bolstering its military presence at Russia's doorstep.
He claims NATO is endangering regional stability.
Mr Shoigu said: “This move clearly indicate blatant unwillingness of our Western partners to stop pushing an anti-Russian agenda.”
The recent tensions between NATO and Russia have led both sides to warn of a “New Cold War”, but Russia accuses NATO of trying to encircle it.
Last year German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter-Steinmeier warned NATO of “sabre-rattling” against Russia.
His comments came after alliance staged military manoeuvres in eastern Europe.
Mr Steinmeier said: “Whoever believes that symbolic tank parades on the alliance’s eastern border will bring more security is mistaken.
“We are well-advised not to create pretexts to renew an old confrontation.”