WIESBADEN, Germany – As NATO adapts to an evolving security environment, Maj. Gen. Ronald Ragin, commanding general of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, emphasized the central role of sustainment in supporting deterrence efforts on the Eastern Flank during a Warrior’s Corner session at the LANDEURO conference, July 16, 2025.
Hosted in Wiesbaden, the conference brought together senior U.S. and Allied leaders, logisticians, and industry partners to discuss joint sustainment strategies in support of NATO’s Eastern Flank Deterrence Line.
Ragin opened the session by highlighting the importance of preparation and the enduring value of mass in large-scale conflict.
“Mass still matters,” Ragin said. “Throughout history, we’ve never quite gotten it right, the amount of ammunition and war materiel needed to sustain major operations. We can’t afford to relearn that lesson.”
Alongside Ragin, Brig. Gen. Ronald Rietbergen from Joint Forces Command – Brunssum, Col. Valdo Veski from the Estonian Defense Forces, and Mr. Shon Monasco of Palantir outlined a roadmap for enhancing sustainment in Europe. The discussion focused on key areas: data integration, mission command, forward production, and the necessity of distributed logistics.
Referencing the war in Ukraine, Ragin noted that fixed logistics nodes and large formations have become vulnerable in modern warfare.
“We operate on a battlefield where if you can be seen, you can be killed,” he said. “That changes everything for logisticians. Convoys and centralized depots are no longer survivable. We have to rethink how we distribute and sustain.”
Rietbergen echoed those concerns, pointing out the risk of self-induced congestion and emphasizing the need for smaller, dispersed sustainment zones supported by real-time data.
“We don’t need an enemy if we can’t move our own supplies efficiently,” Rietbergen said. “Prepositioning and visibility are key. If we don’t know where our stocks are, we lose.”
NATO recently selected the Maven Smart System for shared mission command and logistics visibility. Panelists agreed that the platform is only as good as the data it receives.
“Maven isn’t magic,” Rietbergen added. “We need discipline to populate it correctly. Otherwise, it won’t deliver the information our fighters need.”
Veski, head of logistics for Estonia, underscored the urgency for frontline nations.
“For us, logistics is deterrence,” he said. “We must know where our supplies are and how to move them quickly. That requires data and coordination across the alliance.”
Ragin also stressed the importance of producing equipment forward in Europe and reducing reliance on transatlantic resupply.
“Wartime production is happening in Russia. Many of our allies aren’t even close,” he said. “We have to build capacity here in the theater and figure out how to co-produce with our partners. That includes munitions, spare parts, and even maintenance capabilities.”
The session was closed with a challenge to leaders across NATO.
“If we had just one year left before conflict, would we be doing the right things today?” Ragin asked. “Are we leveraging our partnerships, pushing industry hard enough, and preparing our logisticians for the fight ahead? Because time is not on our side.”
The LANDEURO conference continues this week, bringing together multinational military leaders to advance NATO’s transformation efforts under the theme, “Transforming with Allies for the Future Fight.”
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