By: Valerie Insinna
Defense News
April 24, 2017
WASHINGTON — U.S. Air Force F-35s will reportedly arrive in Estonia on Tuesday, putting the service’s newest jet fighter even closer to Russia’s doorstep, according to an Estonian media report.
An undisclosed number of F-35As are heading to Ämari Air Base in Estonia and, after landing on Tuesday, will be in the country for “several weeks” to conduct training flights with aircraft from the U.S. and allied militaries, the Estonian public broadcaster ERR stated in a report Monday.
A spokesman for the Air Force declined to confirm the deployment to Defense News, stating that any information on the F-35s’ movements will be available only after they have landed.
The Air Force’s version of the joint strike fighter is in the throes of its first international training deployment. Eight F-35As from the active-duty 34th FS and Reserve 466th FS have deployed from Hill AFB in Utah to RAF Lakenheath since April 15.
The F-35’s trip to Europe is being conducted under the auspices of the European Reassurance Initiative — the Defense Department’s buzzword for a series of exercises and training opportunities with NATO allies meant to signal strength to Russia and improve interoperability.
If ERR’s report turns out to be accurate, the F-35’s trip to Estonia would come as a surprise to the public — and possibly to Russia as well.
In a conference call last week with reporters, Air Force officials disclosed that the A model’s first European deployment would take place predominantly in the United Kingdom, with exercises over U.K. airspace. However, officials noted that the service also planned several “out and back” flights to other NATO nations that would help familiarize pilots with the region.
Ämari AB is located in Harjumaa, a county in northwestern Estonia about a three-hour drive from the Russian border. The base has hosted squadrons of aircraft from NATO countries as well as F-22s, which visited the base in 2015 while conducting patrols of the Baltic states’ airspace.
Last week, Air Force officials said there were no plans for the aircraft to be involved in Baltic air policing missions meant to safeguard the skies above Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia. However, the service has always maintained that the Joint Strike Fighter is operational and could be called into combat or other operations if needed.
The Defense Department has made several major demonstrations of air power over the past month, including Tomahawk strikes in Syria and the use of the Massive Ordnance Air Blast for the first time in Afghanistan. The movement of F-35s to the Baltic nations would also doubtlessly be seen as a message to Russia about the U.S. military’s strength during a time when the countries’ relationship appears to be eroding.
It seems some F35s are added to the FY17 proposal (LRIP-11): 2 F-35C for the USN and 2 F-35B plus 2 F-35C for the USMC. Total F-35s for the US: 74. Friday we know what the precise order will look like.
Joost
Melchior Timmers wrote:169028 was still CF-11 in jan2017
169028 is now confirmed to be back at VMFAT-501 as VM-28 again. It was noted at the South Carolina National Guard Air and Ground Expo on May 7. (The source where I found the photo has already been deleted.)
, the "escort" was a pair of really aged "legacy" Sufas!
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