[Homer]

In addition to the lack of suitable airfields, as the front moves east supplies are going to be harder to move. I could see forward depots being established near the kasernes in East Germany. Maybe one way this is supported is by US Army and allied railroad units. Training rail crew at Fort Eustis is a part of the mob tasks for the 84th division. I believe the British also maintained a military rail capability. I’d hate to see the state of the roads if the entire nato offensive plus it’s supporting logistics we’re pushed one them.

Another thing nato could do is rebalance assets by shifting units forward from more distant bases in the UK or Netherlands. Basing in Jutland or the Rhineland will extend the range of F-111s, Tornado’s, etc. F-16s, Alphas Jets, etc could move forward to fields closer to the IGB. Any way you cut it though, airfields will become crowded, even with wartime only and civilian fields utilized. And, supplies of fuel and ordnance will have to be pushed forward as well.

Another double edged sword is intelligence access, particularly for technical collection. Rolling back the air defenses as NATO moves east may allow Airborne platforms to “see” deeper into the east. At the same time, fixed ground based systems like those found at Chicksands, Bad Aibling, and elsewhere will lose some of their collection ability. There’s also the blow to NATO intelligence with the “loss” of Hellenikon and Iraklion in Greece and San Vito, Aviano, and Sigonella in Italy and their air or ground based collectors.

There is also a logistics issue of evacuating prepositioned warstock material at Camp Darby and Aviano, NATO tasked nuclear weapons from Ghedi and other bases, and fleet stores from Souda Bay, Naples, and La Madelinna. There’s a lot of logistics going on in 96-97.
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