October 7,
2008: The U.S. Air Force is now flying
F-15s along the Russian border. Not in Alaska, but in Lithuania. This sort of
thing does not go down well in Russia, where it still rankles that Russia was
on the losing side of the Cold War.
What is
actually happening is even more irritating in Russia. The U.S. Air Force
recently sent 130 of its personnel, and four F-15s, to an air base in
Lithuania, where the fighters will serve as part of a NATO quick reaction force
in ones of NATOs newest members. Lithuania, along with Latvia and Estonia,
joined NATO four years ago. It's common for NATO members to train or operate in
each others territory. After all, NATO is basically a mutual defense
organization. So for the last four years, NATO nations have taken turns sending
jet fighter detachments to the Baltic States, to serve as a quick reaction
force, and to fly patrols along the border (with Russia, or at least the
Kaliningrad district.) The U.S. F-15s replaced a unit of German aircraft. This is the second time U.S. aircraft have
performed this mission.
