US deploys 12 fifth-generation F-22 Raptor fighter jets to Poland

The US Air Force has already marked 12 fifth-generation F-22 Raptor fighters in Poland to increase the defense capability of the region and strengthen the NATO mission, informs “Polish Press Agency”.

“The arrival of F-22 aircraft at the Polish base means that our US ally is very serious about strengthening NATO’s eastern flank in accordance with the decisions of the alliance’s summit in Madrid. For the first time, this will allow us to study equipment and complete tasks together, as well as to quickly adapt to the future adoption of more technically advanced F-35 aircraft,” said Colonel Piotr Ostroukh, commander of the 32nd tactical air base in the city of Lask, during a briefing.

F-22 aircraft periodically appear in European airspace, including for training flights over Slovakia, Estonia and the Baltic Sea coast, said US Air Force Colonel Michael Kendall, adding that they also occasionally reach Germany and southern Europe.

The US mission in Poland is to train and train allies to strengthen the defense of European NATO countries, Kendall also noted. About 300 American military personnel are now stationed at the Lask base alone.

The F-22 Raptor is an American fighter that has never been sold to any other country. Only 180 of them were produced. Their primary task is to gain and maintain control over enemy airspace.

August 4 USA and Poland completed negotiations on Enhanced Defense Cooperation (EDCA), designed to strengthen and deepen the long cooperation between the two countries in this area. According to the new treaty, another 1,000 American troops will be stationed in Poland. US troops numbering 4,500 have already been quartered in Poland on a rotational basis.

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