Pentagon Sends Armed Stryker Vehicles to Bulgaria to Deter Russia

By Kris Osborn – President & Editor-In-Chief, Warrior Maven

The Pentagon is sending a company of Stryker vehicles to Bulgaria as part of a clear move to send a message of support to the key NATO ally and further strengthen deterrence efforts against a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“These troops will be departing Germany in coming days, and they will help ensure our readiness and interoperability with Bulgaria as our NATO ally,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told an audience in Brussels, Belgium at NATO headquarters.

Stryker Vehicles to Bulgaria 

Reinforcing Bulgaria seems quite significant for a number of key reasons. As a key NATO ally bordering the Black Sea, Bulgaria is South of Ukraine and not likely to be in any invasion path chosen by Russia. However, Austin did also add in his remarks that, in addition to adding large numbers of Russian ground forces now assembled in Ukraine, Russia is also increasing its military presence in the Black Sea.

As a NATO ally with coastline along the Black Sea, Bulgaria could in fact be vulnerable to Russian missile or warship attacks from the ocean. Sending armed Strykers, known for their deployability and cross-terrain mobility, sends a clear message to Russia that, just like other NATO allies, Bulgaria will in fact be defended by the full power of NATO’s force.

In fact, Austin heavily emphasized NATO unity and was clear to indicate the alliance was unified and operating with a collective measure of resolve to uphold Article 5 of its Charter ensuring collective defense in the event of an attack on any member.

There is yet another significant message potentially associated with the deployment of Strykers to Bulgaria, and it relates to mobility and deployability. It calls to mind an important Army and European exercise in 2015 called the Dragoon Ride. This event included an extensive deployment convoy traveling across the European continent to, among other things, conduct joint operations with NATO’s Eastern European allied forces such as the Czech Republic.

The convoy, which included Strykers, tactical trucks and other armored vehicles, traveled across a vast 1,800km journey spanning from Estonia in Eastern Europe to Germany.