"The rapid reaction forces of the US Army in Europe are not sufficiently equipped, understaffed and not well-organized to resist the military aggression of Russia or its high-tech mediated agents," retorts Politico a service report. "Some of those who read this study view it as a" signal to wake up from hibernation "at a time when Trump's administration is keen to hold back the brazen Vladimir Putin," writes journalist Wesley Morgan.
"Located in Italy, the 173rd Airborne Brigade is a NATO bastion, a unit that has spent much of its 15 years traveling on missions in Iraq and Afghanistan - lacks the" basic capabilities that it needs to enable it to fulfill its mission effectively and with a decisive rapidity, "- the newspaper writes, citing the document with which it was introduced, - an analytical study conducted by the team itself.
The report details the examples of the "backlog in opportunities" identified by the team in recent training along with the Ukrainian military.
For example, the brigade does not have air defense and EW units, and it relies too much on satellite communications and GPS. The author explains: it is a legacy of actions in Iraq and Afghanistan, where the brigade dealt with an enemy who does not have aviation and high-tech equipment.
"Although its number is about 4 thousand. military personnel is too small to repel Russia's attack on Europe independently, the 173rd airborne brigade is considered one of the main elements that keep Moscow from threatening NATO borders, especially after two tank brigades of the US Army were withdrawn from Germany in 2013 " , - writes the edition.
But the report concluded that in Iraq and Afghanistan, the brigade was partially blunted with "the ability to conduct more sophisticated battles - those skills that Russia hones in Ukraine," as the newspaper.
In the author's opinion, some problems can be eliminated relatively easily and simply. For example, camouflage nets - "scarce luxury for tactical units".
The report recommends replacing the old armored "Hummers" that would become "easy prey" for Russian armored vehicles, the new Ground Mobility Vehicle, which the US Army intends to purchase from General Dynamics.
Another advice is to supply the brigade with a small group of light tanks to protect advanced scouts. But, according to the author, in the coming years the brigade will have to manage heavy armored vehicles.
"A red thread through the report is the topic of the threat, which is carried by Russian interference stations and other means of electronic warfare," the newspaper reports.. The report says that these tools "can effectively neutralize the GPS system from a distance of 50 miles," and it is to be expected that "throughout the conflict the GPS will be unavailable or unreliable".
In the author's opinion, the problem can be solved with the help of HF radio communication, which is harder to detect and mute. But in the US Army now dominated by satellite walkie-talkies.
"Because of this deficit, the 173rd was forced to ask allies from Latvia to help it learn the methods of communication in the face of Russian radio interference. This is a gloomy sign of how the knowledge of the key way of communication has faded in the American troops, "reads the article.
US artillery also relies mainly on GPS.
The publication notes that the artillerymen used to use methods of astronomical orientation, but the US Army has not renewed the so-called "Army Ephemerides" for more than 20 years - the tables used for this purpose.
Retired US military Adrian Bonenberger believes: "If Russia applies EW funds to interfere with artillery brigades, and anti-tank weapons can not penetrate the armor of Russian technology, and if the Russian side can confuse these paratroopers, prevent them and quickly take over them, perhaps, expects a long war ".