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certainly if they are to exercise above or near Estonia for several days -or even weeks...
http://www.defensenews.com/articles/is- ... -in-europe
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 / http://news.err.ee/591794/f-35-lightnin ... on-tuesday .
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.
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 Air Base 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 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.
to current events, and was conducted in close coordination with Estonian allies. 