Defense News:
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate began debate on the Armed Services Committee’s $716 billion annual defense policy bill Wednesday, which highlights the threats from Russia and China.
The panel’s 2019 National Defense Authorization Act expresses a “sense of the Senate” for a broad, long-term strategy that includes helping European allies, “backed by all elements of United States’ national power to deter and, if necessary, defeat Russian aggression.”
That call includes a forward-stationed U.S. Army armored brigade combat team in Europe. The bill would also order a report on whether to permanently station a BCT in Poland, which offered the U.S. just that last month.
The bill also directs the Army to acquire an interim short-term capability to fill gaps in cruise missile defense, to defend against Chinese and Russian threats. These provisions, according to committee aides, are meant to guide the Pentagon in line with the National Defense Strategy’s “great power competition” emphasis.
