America is ramping up defense investments in Europe, quadrupling spending on the European Deterrence Initiative from about $1 billion in 2014 to $4.8 billion in 2018. Another major boost is coming in 2019. For the Air Force, the initiative means "a little more of a permanent posture in some of the forward locations," Melvin Harris, US Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa European Deterrence Initiative (EDI) chief, told Air Force Magazine in July. Originally called the "European Reassurance Initiative" and intended to bolster allies on NATO's Eastern flank after Russia's annexation of Crimea, the effort has since expanded.
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