US Army to end Germany-based brigades amid defence overhaul

Feb 16, 2012, 22:57 GMT

Heidelberg, Germany - The US Army's Germany-based 170th and 172nd infantry brigades will be phased out, the US Army in Heidelberg said on Thursday.

The cuts are part of an overall re-vamp of the US military the Pentagon announced last month, which is aimed at cutting defense spending and shifting the focus on a rising China and Asia in general.

The 170th will be inactivated in October of this year. The 172nd will be inactivated in October 2013.

Overall, the Army's Europe force will see a reduction of around 2,500 soldiers over the next five years, US European Command (EUCOM) said in a statement.

The Pentagon said it would fashion a leaner, more agile military that depends less on boots on the ground and more on technology, such as drones.

While the force in Europe will be smaller, it will have the 'capabilities and capacities necessary to support security and stability,' the statement said.

Stars and Stripes, a military newspaper, reported that the Germany-based 81st Fighter squadron, with 525 airmen, and the 603rd Air Control Squadron in Italy, with 336 airmen, will also be phased out by 2013.

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