U.S. F-35A stealth fighters to move to Estonia tomorrow. Meanwhile, the British Typhoons have arrived in Romania.

April 24, 2017 F-35, Russia, Troubled Areas
David Cenciotti

Some of the F-35A Lightning II aircraft currently at RAF Lakenheath will forward deploy to Estonia tomorrow. Meanwhile, the first RAF Typhoons have arrived in Romania.

According to information available to the Estonia ERR media outlet, an unspecified number of F-35s will arrive at Ämari air base, Estonia, on Tuesday, Apr. 25.

“The jets will remain in Estonia for several weeks and conduct training flights with other aircraft of the U.S. and allied air forces.”

Eight F-35s and 250 airmen belonging to the 34th Fighter Squadron, 388th Fighter Wing and the Air Force Reserve’s 466th Fighter Squadron, 419th Fighter Wing, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, have deployed to RAF Lakenheath recently (beginning with the first section of 6 aircraft on Apr. 15).

The 5th generation multirole combat aircraft have deployed to Europe for the first time in support of the European Reassurance Initiative. As done by the preceding US jets operating in the old continent as part of the so-called Theater Security Packages (TSPs), including the F-22 Raptors and the A-10 Thunderbolt IIs, they will visit various Baltic and eastern Europe airbases “to maximize training opportunities, affirm enduring commitments to NATO allies, and deter any actions that destabilize regional security.”

Meanwhile, on Apr. 24, RAF Typhoons have arrived at Mihail Kogalniceanu (MK) airbase near Constanta, in Romania for the first time in support of the NATO air policing mission. The aircraft will provide air policing over the Black Sea from May to September 2017.

According to the UK MoD, 135 Expeditionary Air Wing (EAW) consists of 150 personnel drawn from across the RAF, whose mission is to keep the fast jets flying during their four month deployment.

The mission of patrolling the skies along NATO’s eastern border was intensified following the Russia-Ukraine crisis. The arrival of the British Typhoons is the last of a series of measures “to deter a Russian aggression over the Black Sea.”

RAF Typhoons arrive at Mihail Kogalniceanu (MK) airbase near Constanta, in Romania for the first time in support of the NATO air policing mission. (Image credit: Crown Copyright)

 

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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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9 Comments

    • Russian radars in Syria are barely even able to get a glimpse of the F-22. What makes you think they would find the F-35.

      • >Russian radars in Syria are barely even able to get a glimpse of the F-22<

        I bet you have some proofs..

  3. WOW, this is big news! F-35s with Typhoon sends a very powerful message to Russia. Moscow wouldn’t dare move against the Baltics now – not if they don’t want to take tremendous air and ground loses. Even Kaliningrad is bare naked open to attack. Their S400 is helpless against F-35. Who was saying there is a bromance between Trump and Putin? I don’t think so!

    Hopefully the F-35s will take part in Baltic Air Policing (BAP) missions. Remember when that F-22 snuck up on and chased off a hapless Iranian F-4 in the Persian Gulf – the plane having no idea the Raptor was even there. The American pilot told the shocked/surprised/scared Iranian pilot to turn home. Oh how I’d love to see that happen to a Russian in a Sukhoi or MiG. Su-27, Su-35, MiG-31 – it wouldn’t matter. Sneak up on them and scare the sh_t outta ’em! Get a photograph. Priceless I tell you. Priceless!

    • R “Their S400 is helpless against F-35. ” Spear3 is far frome beeing operative,so f35 if wants to destroy s-400 must use same stand off missiles eurocanrads use: scalp and taurus-kepd.

  4. Oh, I got that wrong. The Typhoons protecting the Baltics belong to the Germans – augmenting the Netherlands AF, the Luftwaffe coming out of Amari in Estonia. The Netherlands have the lead and are based out of Siauliai Air Base – Lithuania. Patrolling with their F-16s.

    https://www.ac.nato.int/archive/2017/france-hands-over-lead-in-baltic-air-policing-to-the-netherlands-at-siauliai

    Now it could get even better and real world (would be a first for the F-35 – first unless Israel already used their JSFs to bomb Syria. I think they did)! BAP run by F-35, Typhoon and Viper. The Russians will be totally screwed! Scared shi … out of their flight suits! I hope it happens. Let’s see what the F-35 can do on real intercepts – just don’t give too much intel away (no F-35 radar. Make it a GCI). I tell you, since Russia invaded Crimea and Eastern Ukraine it’s hard to keep up.

  5. The two F-35’s that went to Estonia this morning are already back at Lakenheath. Looks a similar pattern to last years F-22 day trips.

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