The Air Force has half a dozen F-22 Raptors en route to Poland as part of the latest effort to protect NATO allies against Russian land grabs following the invasion of Ukraine.
Air Force officials told Military.com that six F-22s arrived Tuesday evening at Royal Air Force Lakenheath in England. The jets are from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.
Those F-22s will be heading to the 32nd Tactical Air Base in Łask, Poland, “ensuring NATO Allies are better able to safeguard and protect Alliance territory,” a press release detailing the mission said.
Read Next: Ukraine Official Says Country Doesn't Want Old American A-10s
The NATO summit in Madrid last month reinforced that countries needed to do more to convince Russia not to try to claim more territory beyond its borders. Two countries on Russia's doorstep, Finland and Sweden, are in the process of joining NATO, hoping the alliance can provide greater security.
Ukraine had talked for years about a possible bid for membership, but hadn't pursued joining NATO partially due to threats from Russian leader Vladimir Putin, threats that Putin has emulated in talking about Finland and Sweden's applications.
While an influx of aircraft was brought to NATO countries in Europe in February, the alliance is now focusing on the concept of air shielding — deploying a variety of planes and missiles throughout Europe to create a “near seamless shield from the Baltic to Black Seas,”…
