WAR COMES TO EUROPE US, NATO AIR FORCES MOBILIZE IN RESPONSE TO INVASION

摘要

American and NATO air forces bolstered their stance in Eastern Europe after Russia launched its far-reaching invasion of Ukraine. The scope and speed of Russia's military incursion into the country prompted Western officials to quickly decide on next steps, after weeks of vowing not to send reinforcements into Ukraine itself. Six U.S. F-35A Lightning Ⅱ fighter jets forward deployed from Germany to multiple countries on NATO's eastern flank Feb. 24 for air policing flights in solidarity with the transatlantic alliance. They'll disperse alongside F-16 Fighting Falcon and F-15 Eagle fighter jets across Poland, Estonia, Lithuania and Romania, U.S. Air Forces in Europe said. On March 7, the Defense Department announced that an unspecified number KC-135 Stratotankers were headed to Souda Bay, Greece, along with 150 airmen from Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane, Washington. NATO released video March 1 of F-35s conducting flight operations at Siauliai Air Base in Lithuania. Other Lightning Us are deployed to AEmari Air Base in Estonia and Fetesti Air Base in Romania.