(PatriotWise.com) — The United States’ involvement in European affairs continues to grow as U.S. fighter jets were spotted near Russia, according to a report by the defense and national security website 19FortyFive. The U.S. is reportedly the only operator of the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptors that are now patrolling the skies as a deterrent.
The pilots were deployed to Ämari Air Base, Estonia earlier this month to support the NATO Air Command’s Air Shielding mission, the U.S. Air Force stated. The mission was part of an allied responsibility to keep the Baltic skies secure, as they are purportedly “situated on critical air.” In April, a dozen Raptors were sent to Poland’s Powidz Air Base.
As the war in Ukraine continues, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made the U.S.’s commitment to defend the Baltic republics clear. He explicitly stated that the mission is to “deter and defend” against threats to their freedom and security. The Air Force has specified that the deployment of fighter jets helps the allies “integrate across all domains.”
This is not the first or the last time that the U.S. has deployed the Air Force across the globe. In April, the U.S. deployed a nuclear-capable B-52 bomber plane to the Korean peninsula in a display of strength against North Korea, according to Al Jazeera. The exercise was reportedly in response to nuclear tests being conducted by Kim Jong-Un.
But North Korean media claimed that the nuclear tests were in response to the U.S. drills in South Korea.
In March, the U.S. was involved in “Freedom Shield 23,” which was described by the United Nations Command as the “latest example of that training and the ironclad commitment to support and defend the ROK sovereignty from any threat or adversary.”
Amid growing hostility and U.S. intervention in foreign countries, Russia, China, and North Korea have enjoyed improving relations and a common goal of countering Western influence.
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