NATO has nearly doubled the number of military jets on alert across Europe amid concerns that Russia’s reckless flying in international airspace could escalate alongside its war in Ukraine.
“The United States set the tone for this type of attack in 1991 in the opening hours of [Operation] Desert Storm,” Air Force Lt. Col. Tyson Wetzel said Wednesday. “It is a methodology that still works today.”
Amid the prospect of Russia invading Ukraine, top experts say the unfolding crisis will test the U.S. military’s ability to seamlessly and rapidly move American troops and heavy armor across the borders of multiple countries and could also magnify potential gaps in both strategy and capability.
The Biden administration sees the Black Sea as a front to challenge Russia, but regional relations complicate America's ability to actually make any progress.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is visiting Georgia, Ukraine and Romania to show support in the face of Russian military activity before he attends NATO’s defense ministerial meeting.
The exercise involved more than 150 personnel and eight F-16 Fighting Falcons assigned to the 555th Fighter Squadron based out of Aviano Air Base in Italy.