U.S. Air Force F-22s deploy to Lithuania (as an RC-135W patrols the Baltic Sea)

April 27, 2016 Military Aviation, Russia, Troubled Areas
David Cenciotti
An F-22 Raptor from the 95th Fighter Squadron lands at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, April 12, 2016. The aircraft arrival marks the second time the U.S. European Command has hosted a deployment of F-22 aircraft in the EUCOM Area of Responsibility. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Erin R. Babis)

Two Raptors have arrived at Siauliai Air Base, in Lithuania.

According to the information released by the U.S. Embassy in Vilnius, (two) F-22 stealth fighter jets have deployed to Siauliai Air Base, on Apr. 27.

Supported by a KC-135R (“Quid 177”), the F-22s (MONGL01 and 02) landed at the main NATO BAP (Baltic Air Patrol) airbase in Lithuania.

The aircraft belong to the contingent of 12 Raptors from 95th FS from Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, currently deployed to Europe and it’s still not clear how long they will remain there.

On Apr. 25, two F-22s deployed to a Romanian airbase on the Black Sea coast for a quick visit.

Interestingly, as noted by Interfax, the aircraft deployed more or less as an RC-135W from RAF Mildenhall carried out a routine (intelligence gathering) mission over the Baltic Sea using radio callsign “Abilo 71”.

On April 14, a U.S. Air Force RC-135  flying a routine mission (in international airspace) over the Baltic Sea was intercepted by a Russian Su-27 that performed a barrel roll over the American electronic intelligence gathering aircraft.

 

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David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.

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7 Comments

  1. Looks like an F-22 patrol is going to surprise and humiliate an Su patrol that’s bothering an R-135

  3. both korea and vietnam wars were unwinnable from the start … deleted scene from “we were soldiers” illustrated that.
    yemen is killer-drone-op area, also who helps the saudis? still?

    • all wars make the US fighting man muscle men for corporations. Ambassador Stevens needless fate proves it.

  5. I believe there has already been one incident, where a US drone was being tailed by an Iranian fighter, who got the surprise of its pilot’s life, when the F-22 told him to knock it off, and go home, from a position on his six. And rather than become a weapon’s test target, he did just that. But Iran claimed they shot down two or more invader aircraft, protecting their nation from attack once again.

    • Iran already captured at least 1 scan eagle drone – so america is known to violate their airspace – bring your troops home. 4 died in Niger.

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