Shouldn’t we worry about this?

Increased spending or not, Putin has made it clear we are already on their radar for our support of Ukraine.

Trump has repeatedly urged European countries to increase defence spending and said he would let aggressors such as Russia do "whatever the hell it wants" to those that don't.". Well there you go then. That says it all.

I agree they need to deliver the defence spending rises quickly. It's too vague. Currently there is a strategic defence review.

"A Whitehall source told the BBC it is a question of "when, not if" the government reaches the 2.5% target.

They also said the election of Donald Trump as the next US president had "focused minds" on the need to increase military spending.

Trump has repeatedly urged European countries to increase defence spending and said he would let aggressors such as Russia do "whatever the hell it wants" to those that don't."

There’s no doubt that tariffs on the U.K. would be massively damaging to the U.K. especially vulnerable now we are outside the EU. Also considering Trump’s proposal for expelling migrants, where do we suppose they’re going to go??

We had better hope that that isn’t true. I read this morning that the Defence Chiefs are furious that the government are now back-pedalling on their promise to increase defence expenditure. We can’t afford to be military “also rans” any longer.

We would be better off I think if we were more closely linked to the EU. Trump only cares about America.

Dinahmo

I for one hope that if Trump introduces tariffs against imports the rest of the world follows suit and operate tariffs against American imports.

We'd function better as a block with EU countries trading wise if that happens or we'd be very isolated?

Wyllow3

I dont know if that would matter to us or not.

I doubt we'd care!

I for one hope that if Trump introduces tariffs against imports the rest of the world follows suit and operate tariffs against American imports.

I dont know if that would matter to us or not.

Wyllow3

To answer upthread:

* RAF Lakenheath 
The largest US Air Force base in England, with the only F-35/F-15 fighter wing in the US Air Forces in Europe (USAFE). It's located in Suffolk County, East Anglia, about 80 miles northeast of London.

RAF Croughton 
The main base for the CIA in Britain, and also a USAF communications station. It's located in Northamptonshire.

RAF Mildenhall 
Located in Suffolk, East Anglia, and part of the Tri-Base area along with RAF Lakenheath and RAF Feltwell.

RAF Alconbury 
Includes a bomber forward operating location, theater munitions storage and movement, and global command and control communications.

RAF Molesworth 
Previously had a GLCM unit that was inactivated in 1989.

Bude, Cornwall 
Jointly run by the NSA and GCHQ, Britain's largest intelligence agency.


Other US military bases in the UK include RAF Welford, RAF Fairford, RAF Feltwell, RAF Upwood, RAF Barford St John, RAF Blenheim Crescent, RAF Fylingdales, and RAF Menwith Hill

The US intelligence community also has a large but secret presence in the UK. The UK government has not disclosed which US agencies are working in Britain or their deployment levels.


Yes, Lakenheath, Mildenhall, Feltwell are all here in Suffolk. Fighter planes do fly into Lake. Mildenhall still has a tiny number of tanker planes. Feltwell has no flying assets, to my knowledge, mostly home estate for Lakeenheath. Alconbury has no military assets, provides some minimal support.

Fairford supports bombers if need be (none based there), RIAT and events.

Only 10,000 military people, easily accommodated in Germany if need be. My point - no problem if the US pack up to Europe.

Sorry, text needs breaking up for clarity

* RAF Lakenheath 
The largest US Air Force base in England, with the only F-35/F-15 fighter wing in the US Air Forces in Europe (USAFE). It's located in Suffolk County, East Anglia, about 80 miles northeast of London.



RAF Croughton 
The main base for the CIA in Britain, and also a USAF communications station. It's located in Northamptonshire.



RAF Mildenhall 
Located in Suffolk, East Anglia, and part of the Tri-Base area along with RAF Lakenheath and RAF Feltwell.



RAF Alconbury 
Includes a bomber forward operating location, theater munitions storage and movement, and global command and control communications.



RAF Molesworth 
Previously had a GLCM unit that was inactivated in 1989.



Bude, Cornwall 
Jointly run by the NSA and GCHQ, Britain's largest intelligence agency.


Other US military bases in the UK include RAF Welford, RAF Fairford, RAF Feltwell, RAF Upwood, RAF Barford St John, RAF Blenheim Crescent, RAF Fylingdales, and RAF Menwith Hill.

The US intelligence community also has a large but secret presence in the UK. The UK government has not disclosed which US agencies are working in Britain or their deployment levels.


To answer upthread:

* RAF Lakenheath 
The largest US Air Force base in England, with the only F-35/F-15 fighter wing in the US Air Forces in Europe (USAFE). It's located in Suffolk County, East Anglia, about 80 miles northeast of London.

RAF Croughton 
The main base for the CIA in Britain, and also a USAF communications station. It's located in Northamptonshire.

RAF Mildenhall 
Located in Suffolk, East Anglia, and part of the Tri-Base area along with RAF Lakenheath and RAF Feltwell.

RAF Alconbury 
Includes a bomber forward operating location, theater munitions storage and movement, and global command and control communications.

RAF Molesworth 
Previously had a GLCM unit that was inactivated in 1989.

Bude, Cornwall 
Jointly run by the NSA and GCHQ, Britain's largest intelligence agency.


Other US military bases in the UK include RAF Welford, RAF Fairford, RAF Feltwell, RAF Upwood, RAF Barford St John, RAF Blenheim Crescent, RAF Fylingdales, and RAF Menwith Hill

The US intelligence community also has a large but secret presence in the UK. The UK government has not disclosed which US agencies are working in Britain or their deployment levels.


Farzanah

I am beyond depressed about Trump being elected and am very pessimistic about the future.
Climate change is the biggest challenge facing the world and apparently Trump is a climate denier.

There has been disastrous evidence recently in Europe of the devastation that climate change will mean for the world. I can’t understand the complacency. It’s those that come after us, our grandchildren, and their grandchildren who will suffer because of our inaction.

This is absolutely the biggest challenge facing the world. If we don't try to do something about climate change then little else matters. It is absolutely IS those who come after us that will suffer because of our inaction.

America contributes more than the next 9 countries ( counting down) put together.

& looking at the big picture, how many Americans, no matter how tuned to fake news etc, would be able to stomach a Russia -dominated Europe? Where the majority of their ancestors came from & they've historically had a fundamental cultural relationship with? Plus Russia with Europe would be the world superpower, with China looking over their shoulders & USA nowhere. Because this is what the bottom line is, without any American checks & balances.

Wyllow3

How does this all fit in with the literally huge numbers of US military bases or garrisons in the UK and Europe?

The US may want to pull out of funding the Ukraine, but to lose the military foothold these bases give?

Which huge numbers of US bases remain in the UK?

I believe in 2015, during a reduction in forces, the number of bases was reduced significantly/military persons to only 10,000.

Perhaps I remember incorrectly. The remaining people seem to be mostly in Suffolk at a couple of small bases.

I can’t envisage NATO without the Americans and I don’t think the Pentagon will be able to either. DH served at both SHAPE and AFCENT and the American presence and influence is pre-eminent. You really have to experience it. If the European nations were left to sort out their own defence capability, there would be a most almighty squabble about who leads whom and who has what influence, not to mention the cost.

It will be interesting to see what Trump actually does. He is full of ideas such as increasing taxes on imports. All that will happen is prices will go up to offset the taxes and the cost will ultimately be borne by the American people.
He has other grandiose ideas like rounding up all illegal immigrants and deporting them. How much will that cost as well as building that wall.
I'm hoping he won't pull out of NATO but it might mean other countries paying fairly.

How does this all fit in with the literally huge numbers of US military bases or garrisons in the UK and Europe?

The US may want to pull out of funding the Ukraine, but to lose the military foothold these bases give?

A propos of nothing, up until fairly recently, the Germans were consistently not meeting their 2% contribution, and they were the ones shouting loudest about a European Army, and I always wondered, this being so, why a German has held the post of Commander in Chief of Allied Forces Central Europe more times than any other nation. Since 1966 there have been eighteen Germans, three Italians (who also don’t contribute enough) and one Brit.

Oreo

Greyduster

Geographically, strategically, we belong with NATO and in Europe. However difficult that path is. "Hitching ourselves" to the USA makes no sense. Without “hitching ourselves to the USA, there will be no NATO. They are the biggest monetary contributor and only thirty five per cent of the European member nations are meeting their funding targets. We are one of those thirty five percent. Trump is not particularly keen to continue using US tax dollars to prop NATO up. He could threaten to pull out unless we all start putting our hands deeper into our pockets. The alternative is the much vaunted European Defence Force, but Europe is highly unlikely to be able to fund that either.

Thb I don’t blame Trump for wanting to make European countries contribute more.

Of course not.

Every nation should meet or exceed funding targets. I doubt we'd be keen to prop NATO up without others contributing fairly.

MaizieD

Oreo

We wanted the US to get involved in the last war but until Pearl Harbour they were reluctant you’re right, but they could just have pursued a war with Japan but fortunately for us they threw in their soldiers and armaments into the war with Germany.We couldn’t have done it without them and our Colonial allies.

We couldn’t have done it without them and our Colonial allies.

Or Russia.

Everyone conveniently forgets Russia.

Apart from the military historians...

MaizieD
Not me. My father was 19, a signalman on the convoys.

We’re not ‘hog tied’ to the US but we are close to them and long may it continue.

Greyduster

^Geographically, strategically, we belong with NATO and in Europe. However difficult that path is. "Hitching ourselves" to the USA makes no sense^. Without “hitching ourselves to the USA, there will be no NATO. They are the biggest monetary contributor and only thirty five per cent of the European member nations are meeting their funding targets. We are one of those thirty five percent. Trump is not particularly keen to continue using US tax dollars to prop NATO up. He could threaten to pull out unless we all start putting our hands deeper into our pockets. The alternative is the much vaunted European Defence Force, but Europe is highly unlikely to be able to fund that either.

Thb I don’t blame Trump for wanting to make European countries contribute more.