Day 8

The deployments are important, because these combat battalions are designed not to be simple tripwires, but to be large enough and sufficiently well equipped to do an invader real damage. Then they can be reinforced more quickly with the enhanced rapid-reaction force — another NATO and American decision is to station an added U.S. armored combat brigade of around 5,000 soldiers in Europe (for a total of three) and to preposition its heavy equipment like tanks and artillery.

这项部署非常重要，因为这些作战营的存在不只是作为绊网，而是有较大的规模、有十分精良的装备，足以对入侵的敌人实施真正的打击。而且，他们还可以更加快速地获得实力增强的快速反应部队的增援——北约和美国的另一项决定是在欧洲额外部署一支人数约5000的美国装甲战斗旅（加在一起是三支），会配备坦克和大炮等重型装备。

Still, there is another troubling Russia-related issue for NATO — how to deal with a new Russian military doctrine that considers the utility of tactical nuclear weapons at the beginning of a conflict, as a deterrent against an adversary retaking territory, followed by what planners call “a quick de-escalation.”

不过，北约还存在另一个与俄罗斯有关的麻烦——如何应对新的俄罗斯军事准则。这一准则考虑在冲突之初便使用战术核武器，威慑敌人，使之不敢收复阵地，之后再进行被策划者称为“快速降温”的措施。