The Pentagon chief says the United States will deploy heavy military equipment in several Eastern European countries to boost NATO presence there, amid standoff with Russia over Ukraine.

Speaking at a joint press conference with three Baltic defense ministers in Tallinn, Estonia, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said on Tuesday Washington will spread about 250 tanks, armored vehicles and other military equipment across seven European nations.

"We will temporarily stage one armored brigade combat team's vehicles and associated equipment in countries in central and eastern Europe," Carter said.

"This pre-positioned European activity set includes tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, artillery," he said.

Carter added that Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Bulgaria, Romania and Poland had "agreed to host company- to battalion-sized elements of this equipment" which would be "moved around the region for training and exercises."

He said the move is to reassure NATO states against “threats” from Russia and terrorist groups.

His comments come a day after he announced that the US would be contributing weapons, aircraft and forces for NATO’s new rapid reaction force.

Lithuanian Defense Minister Juozas Olekas (left), US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter (second left), Estonian Defense Minister Sven Mikser and Latvian Secretary of Defense Janis Sarts (right), attend a joint press conference after a meeting in Tallinn, Estonia, June 23, 2015. (AP photo)

According to the Associated Press, the contribution will consist of intelligence and surveillance capabilities, special operations forces, logistical aid, transport aircraft, and a range of weapons.

This is the first time since the end of the Cold War that Washington stations heavy military equipment in newer NATO members.

Military tensions between the United States and Russia have escalated steadily since April 2014, when the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea reunited with the Russian Federation following a referendum a month earlier.

Washington accuses Moscow of arming and supporting pro-Russian forces fighting in the predominantly Russian-speaking areas in eastern Ukraine. Moscow calls the accusations "groundless".

The US-led military buildup in NATO member states bordering Russia has drawn strong objections from Moscow, followed by warnings of a well-measured response.

The United States plans to bolster its armored presence and keep rotations of American troops in Eastern Europe to provide “deterrence against Russian aggression.”

GJH/GJH