US Lacks Sufficient Military Equipment to Supply Europe - Army Commander

Pentagon budget cuts could negatively affect missions in Europe, Ben Hodges suggested, including the deployment of troops and equipment.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The US Army lacks the equipment necessary to supply Europe with military hardware, the Army’s commanding general in Europe said.

"I don’t have bridges, I don’t have the trucks that can carry tanks, we don’t have enough helicopters to do what we need to do," Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges said, as quoted by The New York Times on Sunday.

Pentagon budget cuts could negatively affect missions in Europe, Hodges suggested, including the deployment of troops and equipment.

According to Hodges, it will take the US Army additional funds or time to bring more helicopters to Europe.

Military presence of the United States in Europe has declined since 2012, with the number of soldiers permanently stationed in the region dropping by 35 percent. The US Army also reduced or relocated vehicles, weapon and supplementary equipment numbers, the media outlet reported.

In July, Brig. Gen. Randy George, the force management director, said the entire US Army was estimated to reach 450,000 soldiers by the end of 2017 due to reductions of both domestic and foreign posts.