Sentry Staff
When the United States signed a $61 billion supplemental aid package for Ukraine in April 2024, the war-battered country quickly received many of the munitions it requested because of their strategic staging for fast delivery, a key component of the Army Prepositioned Stock (APS) at locations throughout Europe. As part of its global posture, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) maintains stocks of mission-essential equipment, supplies and munitions around the world. In addition to the U.S. Army, the Navy, the Marine Corps and the Air Force also maintain equipment stocks on land and at sea. Materiel at these sites includes weapons, vehicles, medical supplies and other equipment ready for use in conflict, during training exercises and for humanitarian relief efforts.
With Finland and Sweden joining NATO, the Army Materiel Command (AMC) is considering additional sites for prepositioned stock in Europe and the Indo-Pacific.
Through the APS program, the Army has six prepositioned stock sites: Zutendaal, Belgium; Dülmen, Germany; Mannheim, Germany; Livorno, Italy; and Eygelshoven, Netherlands; and Powidz, Poland.
Additional sites will reduce transit times and lessen hurdles including agricultural inspections, said Lt. Gen. Chris Mohan, deputy chief of AMC.
“The addition of the NATO Partners changes the security landscape and our responsibilities as part of NATO,” Mohan told the Breaking Defense website in March 2024. He said that as the war in Ukraine goes on, more sites are needed, especially in Europe’s High North, given that region’s proximity to Russia.
AMC positions weapons and helps Allies and Partners maintain them from a distance, managing operations and training. U.S. Defense Department leaders are exploring ways to streamline and codify processes for maintenance and repair, Mohan said. The diplomatic process of establishing new stock sites can prove complex and lengthy. The command is contributing to the decision-making process, he said, but the Army’s Pentagon-based leadership develops the APS strategy. The U.S. must weigh the benefits against risks, including the potential increase of the host nation’s exposure to retaliation from strategic competitors, Mohan said.
Solidifying agreements for new sites is even more complicated in the Indo-Pacific region where a NATO-like alliance doesn’t exist, and the U.S. leans on bilateral agreements. The Army’s current stockpile to support that region includes equipment stored on its floating APS throughout the Indo-Pacific region and equipment stored in Australia. That’s not adequate, Mohan said. Instead, U.S. Army Pacific, in conjunction with other service leaders, is developing options for other potential ground-based APS locations.
“This is the tyranny [of] transportation … everything’s eight hours [away] there,” he said. While having more ground-based APS sites is good for the U.S., Mohan cautioned that such deals increase the host nation’s “exposure” to retaliation from countries like the People’s Republic of China. The U.S. also must consider the costs of maintaining such sites.
Storing equipment and weapons near the Arctic Circle would mean the Army could learn more about how extremely cold weather impacts materiel and what Soldiers would need to do to winterize capabilities, Mohan said.
If the Army decides to place stock in Scandinavia, it will establish additional prepositioned stock sites on the continent. Defensenews.com reported that the Army plans to spend $536 million to upgrade and expand existing prepositioned stock locations and will also consider locations for expansion. The Mannheim worksite is upgrading infrastructure. In Powidz, a new complex can accommodate up to 5,000 pieces of military equipment, including armored vehicles, artillery systems, engineering equipment and logistics support vehicles to support NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence initiative against potential aggression from Russia, according to Defence Today, an online security publication. In Zutendaal, Belgium, renovation of a 40,000-square-foot warehouse was completed in April 2024 to receive medical supplies for the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Agency. Equipment stored there will include vaccines, insulin and medical equipment such as defibrillators and X-ray machines. The facility also includes testing and repair capabilities.
In addition to Finland and Sweden, Norway could host a prepositioned stock site, Maj. Gen. Ronald Ragin, commanding general for the 21st Theater Sustainment Command for Army Europe-Africa, told Breaking Defense.
“That’s why I asked, if I had two years yet before a conflict, where would I be? And so we’re working those agreements very hard,” Ragin said. “The Army is making investments in APS, specifically, modernizing.”
U.S. European Command leadership is deciding what equipment and locations are best for the High North and the Arctic, Mohan said, adding, “The new plan will embrace and integrate Finland and Sweden into the NATO enterprise, and that’s going to drive some changes on the ground.”