Seymour Johnson F-15Es arrive in Baltics for NATO air policing mission

U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles assigned to the 4th Fighter Wing out of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, landed at Amari Air Base in Estonia Wednesday to supplement forces already deployed in support of NATO’s enhanced air policing mission in the Baltics.

The American pilots will be flying alongside a detachment of Belgian F-16s and Estonian aircraft currently supporting the air policing mission, while also practicing air-to-air and air-to-ground maneuvers. In addition to the U.S. aircraft, Danish F-16s will deploy Thursday to Siauliai Air Base in Lithuania.

“Baltic and enhanced air policing are enduring NATO missions that deliver constant vigilance of Allied airspace and contribute to the Alliance’s collective defense posture,” NATO’s Allied Air Command Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Jöerg Lebert said in a press release .

“The additional aircraft will work closely with the current detachments to increase our readiness, build crucial interoperability and underline the robust solidarity across the Alliance,” Lebert said.

Six F-15E Strike Eagles, assigned to the 4th Fighter Wing from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in N.C., receive routine maintenance after arriving at Ämari Air Base, Estonia, Jan. 26, 2022. NATO enhanced Air Policing was introduced in 2014 in order to assure north eastern and south eastern allies, demonstrate the collective resolve of allies and demonstrate the defensive nature of NATO to deter adversaries from aggression or the threat of aggression against NATO allies. The F-15E Strike Eagle is a dual-role fighter designed to perform air-to-air and air-to-ground missions, and is able to fly at low altitudes at any time of day and in all weather. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Megan Beatty)

This latest iteration of U.S. fighter jets follows the early January deployment of U.S. F-16s from Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany to Poland in support of Polish and Belgian aircraft flying air policing missions in the region.

NATO air policing missions, which deploy aircraft with both offensive and defensive capabilities to ensure no suspicious or unauthorized flights enter NATO airspace, have taken on new significance as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues to develop.

On Monday, the Pentagon announced that it was putting 8,500 troops on heightened alert in case Russia does, in fact, invade Ukraine.

While President Joe Biden has previously stated that no U.S. troops would be permanently stationed there, the 8,500 would be deployed in support of NATO’s Response Force , a multinational, 40,000-troop collective tasked with responding to aggressions against NATO countries and allies.

Rachel is a Marine Corps veteran and a master's candidate at New York University's Business & Economic Reporting program.

隶属于北卡罗来纳州西摩·约翰逊空军基地第 4 战斗机联队的美国空军 F-15E 攻击鹰战斗机于周三降落在爱沙尼亚阿马里空军基地，以补充已部署在波罗的海地区支持北约加强空中警戒任务的部队。

美国飞行员将与目前正在执行空中警戒任务的比利时F-16战机和爱沙尼亚战机组成编队进行联合飞行，同时还将进行空对空和空对地机动演练。除美国战机外，丹麦F-16战机也将于周四部署至立陶宛的希奥利艾空军基地。

北约盟军空军司令部参谋长约尔格·莱伯特少将在新闻稿中表示：“波罗的海和加强空中警戒是北约的长期任务，旨在对盟军空域进行持续警戒，并为联盟的集体防御态势做出贡献。”

勒贝尔表示：“新增的飞机将与现有分遣队密切合作，提高我们的战备水平，建立关键的互操作性，并凸显联盟内部的强大团结。”

2022年1月26日，隶属于北卡罗来纳州西摩·约翰逊空军基地第4战斗机联队的六架F-15E“攻击鹰”战斗机抵达爱沙尼亚阿马里空军基地后，正在接受例行维护。北约于2014年启动了加强型空中警戒行动，旨在保障东北部和东南部盟国的安全，展现盟国的集体决心，并彰显北约的防御性质，以威慑敌方对北约盟国的侵略或侵略威胁。F-15E“攻击鹰”是一款双用途战斗机，设计用于执行空对空和空对地任务，并能够在任何时间、任何天气条件下低空飞行。（美国空军照片，摄影：参谋军士梅根·比蒂）

继 1 月初美国从德国施潘达勒姆空军基地向波兰部署 F-16 战斗机，以支援波兰和比利时飞机在该地区执行空中警戒任务之后，美国最新型的战斗机也加入了此次部署。

随着俄罗斯和乌克兰之间的冲突持续发展，北约空中警戒任务（部署兼具进攻和防御能力的飞机，以确保没有可疑或未经授权的航班进入北约空域）变得具有了新的意义。

周一，五角大楼宣布，为应对俄罗斯可能入侵乌克兰的情况，已将 8500 名士兵置于高度戒备状态。

虽然乔·拜登总统此前曾表示不会有美军永久驻扎在那里，但这 8500 名美军将部署到北约快速反应部队，该部队是一个由 4 万名士兵组成的多国联合部队，负责应对针对北约国家和盟国的侵略。

瑞秋是一名海军陆战队退伍老兵，也是纽约大学商业与经济报道专业的硕士研究生。