Six U.S. fighter jets were being deployed to the Baltic Sea and Black Sea regions to support NATO's defense capabilities following the start of Russia's attack on Ukraine.
The Air Force said in a statement Thursday that the six F-35 Lightning II aircraft originally had been assigned to the 34th Fighter Squadron operating from Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany.
A senior defense official told reporters that two of the jets will be sent to Estonia, two to Lithuania, and two to Romania, The Hill reported.
The fighters were part of the F-35 jets that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin repositioned to the region on Monday.
"We are facing a dynamic environment, and the deployment of F-35s to NATO's eastern flank enhances our defensive posture and amplifies the Alliance's interoperability," Gen. Jeff Harrigian, U.S. Air Force in Europe — Air Forces Africa commander, said in the statement.
Russian forces invaded Ukraine by land, air, and sea on Thursday, confirming the worst fears of the West with the biggest attack by one state against another in Europe since World War II.
The Pentagon has sent a total of 6,000 troops to Poland, Germany, and Romania, with the vast majority going to Poland, The Hill said.
Besides sending the fighter jets, Austin on Monday deployed 800 troops stationed in Italy to the Baltics. A separate 20 Apache attack helicopters were being moved from Germany to the Baltic region, and 12 Apache helicopters were moving from Greece to Poland.
"The helicopters are on their way. I understand that there's been some weather issues. So we still expect those Apaches to get on site later today," a defense official told reporters, The Hill said. "That's the hope, but apparently there's some weather issues, so I don't know for sure."
Austin ordered 8,500 service members to a heightened state of readiness should NATO activate its Rapid Reaction Force. Overall, there were about 90,000 U.S. service members based in Europe.
"These additional personnel are being repositioned to reassure our NATO allies, deter any potential aggression against NATO member states, and train with host-nation forces," Defense Department officials said in a written statement.
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