Originally appeared at ZeroHedge
A US Army rocket test in Eastern Europe connected to NATO exercises in Romania has ratcheted tensions with Russia given the close proximity to its border.
The US this week conducted rocket-launch tests of M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket (HIMARS) vehicles, which had been transferred from Germany.
The rocket test was close enough to Russia for its Defense Ministry to deploy what Russian media described as “advanced hardware” on the Crimean peninsula should it be needed to neutralize any “surprise missile attack.”
It was also provocative enough for Forbes to introduce the maneuvers in the following way:
The U.S. Army sneaked a pair of long-range rocket launchers near Russia’s Black Sea outpost on Thursday, fired off a few rockets then hurried the launchers back to the safety of their base in Germany. All within a few hours.
The one-day mission by the Army’s new Europe-based artillery brigade was practice for high-tech warfare. It clearly also was a message for Moscow. The U.S. Army in Europe has restored its long-range firepower. And it wants the Russians to know.
According to Russian media reports over 130 NATO soldiers and 30 units of military equipment were involved. The missile salvos were reportedly fired into the Black Sea.
And further according to Forbes, “The [US] brigade’s rapid deployment to Romania last week could prove even more provocative. Especially considering the new munitions the Army is developing for the HIMARS and MLRS. These include an anti-ship missile and a replacement for ATACMS that can travel as far as 310 miles.”
“It’s just 250 miles across the Black Sea from the Romanian coast to Crimea. Army HIMARS flying in and out of Romania pose a serious, and unpredictable, threat to Russian forces in the region,” the report underscores further.
All of this suggests the standoff over both Ukraine and Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea (which was done after a popular referendum) is far from over. Further, Russia has long slammed NATO for encroaching right up to its border, violating key agreements from the 1990s after the Soviet Union collapsed.
Crimea river
Dumbass always are dumbasses no matter who pays them,why don’t they build like good things like russia does these days,this is what I mea, severe obesity mental disorders leads to heart attacks!
Nothing special!…just a pair of Kilo Subs send 12 cruise missile vs HIMAR Trucks and end of the problem!..if it is not enough another 12 Iskander K/M..and 4 supersonic Bastion P( Brahmos) of Bonus…
It’s only going to get worse for Russia if they don’t draw the line. Perhaps it’s time to give a response that will make it clear that NATO, and in particular the US, is no longer warranted nor recognised in EU. If they want to make a European alliance then it should be comprised of European nations only, otherwise it’s just foreign interference.
Or Russia is sure that their defensives and offensives weapons are able to neutralize US missiles or they fears US and NATO force. America is ready to fight against Russia till the last european citizen. If Putin thinks that his hypersonic missiles are the solution of all the problems Russia will discovers a sad reality. You can’t playing always on defensive line
Won’t happen. Russia according to its military doctrine will respond massively to a direct attack
I’m sure, but Romania is very close to russian borders and US missiles in a few minutes would hit Crimea defenses. But yankees very well know that Russia very heavily will retaliate, and not only against those countries that guest american bases, but also and overall against America motherland