Thousands of troops and major hardware from the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division are heading to the Baltic region to reassure NATO allies fearful of Russian aggression, according to the Pentagon.

Approximately 3,000 soldiers from the [3rd} division’s 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team are bringing approximately 750 vehicles and pieces of heavy equipment with them, including tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, artillery pieces and helicopters. The gear arrived Monday via ship in Riga, Latvia, Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren told reporters.

The troops and equipment will participate in multinational training exercises with Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, which will kick off in May….

The 1st Armored Brigade will wrap up its rotational deployment in mid-June. But all of the heavy rolling stock that the unit is bringing over, to include tanks and armored personnel carriers, is slated to remain in the European theater after the brigade departs, according to U.S. defense officials.

Image: US tank arriving in Riga, March 10, 2015 (photo: US Army)