Updated June 16, 2020
The European Deterrence Initiative: A Budgetary Overview
Background
represent the second consecutive year of reduced funding
The European Deterrence Initiative (EDI) is a Department
for EDI.
of Defense (DOD) effort to “enhance the U.S. deterrence
DOD officials contend that the Administration remains
posture, increase the readiness and responsiveness of U.S.
committed to EDI and suggest that lower funding requests
forces in Europe, support the collective defense and
are due primarily to the completion of multi-year
security of NATO allies, and bolster the security and
infrastructure projects. Critics, including some Members of
capacity of U.S. allies and partners,” according to the DOD
Congress, have questioned the rationale behind the
European Deterrence Initiative Fact Sheet.
Administration’s deferral of EDI projects—totaling $772
million in 2019 and $316 million in 2020—to fund the
EDI began as the European Reassurance Initiative (ERI) in
U.S.-Mexico border wall, and the aforementioned reported
June 2014. The Obama Administration launched it
plan to withdraw U.S. troops from Germany.
primarily as an effort to reassure U.S. allies in Europe of a
The FY2021 EDI budget request would support an “average
continued U.S. commitment to their security in the wake of
strength” of 9,904 active, reserve, and guard personnel in
Russia’s 2014 invasion and occupation of Ukraine’s Crimea
EUCOM. These include 9,095 Army, 459 Air Force, and
region and instigation of conflict in eastern Ukraine. As
350 Navy personnel participating in EDI activities in
tensions with Russia mounted, the focus of the program
Europe. As of February 2020, about 74,000 U.S. personnel
broadened from reassuring allies to deterring Russian
were permanently stationed in Europe.
aggression. DOD began referring to the program as EDI in
2018.
Figure 1. EDI Budget FY2015-FY2021
(In billions of dollars)
Today, EDI is a key funding source for U.S. European
Command’s (EUCOM) posture adjustments in response to
the evolving European security environment. EDI has
enabled the first increase in U.S. military forces in Europe
since the end of the Cold War. This includes the rotational
deployment of an Armored Brigade Combat Team (BCT),
mostly in Central and Eastern Europe. Two BCTs, one
Stryker-equipped and one airborne infantry, are
permanently stationed in Europe—in Germany and Italy,
respectively. A prominent objective of EDI has been to
enable rapid military mobilization to Central and Eastern
Europe in order to respond quickly to military aggression in
the region.
Source: Under Secretary of Defense (Comptrol er).
EDI began in FY2015 with $985 million in funding.
Between FY2016 and FY2019, Congress authorized
significant annual increases in EDI funding as requested.
EDI Focus Areas
Funding for the effort peaked at $6.5 billion in FY2019 and
Since its inception, EDI has divided its funding into five
was $5.91 billion in FY2020.
categories. Figure 2 shows the funding trends of each
category. The following are descriptions and selected
Some Members of Congress have raised questions about
highlights based on the FY2021 EDI budget request.
reduced funding levels requested by the Administration for
FY2021. Press reports in June 2020 that the Administration
Enhanced Prepositioning ($2.34 billion in FY2020, $1.94
is considering withdrawing 9,500 of the approximately
billion in FY2021) is the largest funding category and
35,000 U.S. troops stationed in Germany have heightened
supports the prepositioning of equipment and material to
concerns in Congress about the Administration’s
allow military forces to increase readiness and rapidly
commitment to EDI and to European security more broadly.
deploy if needed.
Other congressional voices have urged European allies to
increase military investments to augment EDI and related
The largest component of Enhanced Prepositioning is
NATO deterrence efforts.
the Army Prepositioned Stocks ($452.8 million),
FY2021 Budget Request and Funding
which stores large sets of equipment to reduce the
Levels
demand on strategic transportation assets in the event of
a conflict. APS locations currently exist in Belgium,
EDI funding is designated as Overseas Contingency
Germany, Poland, and the Netherlands.
Operations (OCO) funding. Figure 1 outlines annual
funding levels. The FY2021 request is 25% less than the
Increased Presence ($2.05 billion in FY2020, $1.45 billion
amount appropriated in FY2020, and, if enacted, would
requested in FY2021) provides EUCOM with a larger
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The European Deterrence Initiative: A Budgetary Overview
military presence that is capable of deterring and
Considerations for Congress
responding to regional adversaries.
Congress has supported EDI since its inception in FY2015
as ERI. As the program enters its seventh year of operation,
The largest component of this line of effort is for the
Members of Congress may assess the degree to which the
Army Rotational Forces, which would receive almost
program aligns with broader congressional security and
25% of the overall budget. The Army Rotational Forces
defense priorities in Europe, including deterring Russian
create a constant U.S. military presence in Central and
aggression. Areas of interest might include the following:
Eastern Europe through a nine-month rotational
deployment of an Armored BCT.
Questions about the Administration’s Commitment
Improved Infrastructure ($539.6 million in FY2020,
to European Security. Members of Congress may
$436.4 million requested in FY2021) is intended for the
consider the implications of the Administration’s
construction and improvement of infrastructure and
reported plans to withdraw up to 9,500 troops from
facilities to support military readiness and operations. These
Germany, as well as its deferral of EDI military
improvements apply to U.S. airfields, bases, and training
construction projects to pay for border-barrier
ranges in Europe. The FY2021 improvements focus on
construction. Both decisions could raise questions about
Germany and Romania, totaling $264 million.
future U.S. force posture in Europe and commitment to
broader NATO efforts to deter Russian aggression.
Building Partnership Capacity ($424 million in FY2020,
$384 million requested in FY2021) is designed to build and
NATO/European Contributions. Although it is not a
strengthen the capacity of European allies to defend
NATO program, EDI is widely viewed as a U.S.-led
themselves and respond to regional crises.
cornerstone of broader NATO efforts to deter Russian
aggression in Europe. As Administration requests for
The Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative falls under
EDI funding have decreased, some Members of
this category. EDI has included separate funding for
Congress may urge increased European contributions to
Ukraine each year since the inception of the program.
these NATO efforts.
The FY2021 EDI budget requests $250 million in
Rotational vs. Permanent Troop Deployment. In
security assistance to Ukraine in the forms of
“intelligence support, personnel training, equipment and
accomplishing EDI’s objectives, the relative cost of
logistics support, supplies, and other services.” Despite
rotational forces versus a permanent military presence in
Central and Eastern Europe may be of interest. This may
funding for EDI decreasing, funding to Ukraine has
include evaluating the prospects for a permanent U.S.
increased and remained at $250 million for the past two
military presence in Poland, as well as concerns about
years.
Russia’s potential response to the permanent stationing
Exercises and Training ($608.7 million in FY2020,
of U.S. forces in Central and Eastern Europe.
$293.8 million requested in FY2021) supports U.S.
OCO Funding. DOD funds EDI through OCO rather
involvement in exercises to increase cohesion between U.S.
than the base budget. Unlike DOD’s Future Years
and NATO forces and serve as a deterrent to aggressive
regional actors. This focus area funded the “Defender
Defense Program (FYDP), which includes projected
-
Europe 20” exercise, which intended to mobilize the largest
funding over five years, OCO funding is typically
planned for one year at a time. In recent National
deployment of U.S. troops to Europe in the past 25 years.
Defense Authorization Acts, Congress has instructed the
The exercise began in early 2020 but was cut short due to
Administration to shift EDI funding to DOD’s base
the COVID-19 pandemic.
budget, in part to signal to allies long-term U.S. support
Figure 2. EDI Budget Focus Areas, FY2015-FY2021
for the effort. The program continues to be funded
(in billions of dollars)
through OCO, however.
Changing Security Environment. Nonconventional
challenges from Russia, such as information warfare, are
increasing. Congress may assess the extent to which
EDI addresses these, as well as other more conventional
security challenges.
CRS Products
CRS Report R46066, NATO: Key Issues Fol owing the 2019
Leaders’ Meeting, by Paul Belkin
CRS In Focus IF11130, United States European Command:
Overview and Key Issues, by Kathleen J. McInnis and Brendan
W. McGarry
Source: CRS analysis based on Undersecretary of Defense
Paul Belkin, Analyst in European Affairs
Comptrol er information, available at
Hibbah Kaileh, Research Assistant
https://comptrol er.defense.gov/Budget-Materials/
Note: FY21 numbers show requested amount
IF10946
https://crsreports.congress.gov
The European Deterrence Initiative: A Budgetary Overview
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