The head of U.S. Air Forces in Europe said he expects roughly the same number of airmen and aircraft to rotate through Europe in 2016 as did in 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Twelve F-15s from the California and Massachusetts Air National Guard are expected to arrive in Europe early next year as part of a theater security package, which typically lasts six months, Gen. Frank Gorenc told Air Force Times on Dec. 9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But it is unclear whether F-22s will deploy to Europe again in 2016, Gorenc said. In 2015, four F-22s deployed to Germany, Poland and Estonia, marking the Raptor’s first theater security package to Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“For me, it was very important to introduce the F-22 to see how we could fly it in the airspace and how we could support it,” Gorenc said. “Depending on their availability, we may or may not be lucky enough to get an F-22 [rotation], but certainly I’m working really hard to make next year a copy of this year with respect to that.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The U.S. began rotating aircraft and airmen through Europe following Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea region in February 2014. Now the war in eastern Ukraine has quieted down, but Gorenc said he will continue to make the case for rotations through Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The theater security packages are meant to affirm to NATO allies that the U.S. is there to defend them, Gorenc said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I don’t know if it’s deterring Russia or not, but I do know that it’s assuring our partners,” Gorenc said. “The fact that we bring U.S. aircraft \u2014 albeit in a rotational mode \u2014 over and exercise in the robust way that we are, that’s very reassuring to our allies. I see that and I hear that and our allies are grateful for it.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Russia has turned its attention to Syria, but it has placed its highly sophisticated surface-to-air-missiles in Kaliningrad and Crimea. These air defense systems may not be impenetrable, but it would be a “significant achievement” for U.S. aircraft to take them out, Gorenc said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The theater security packages are meant to meet the training needs for the U.S. and its allies, such as Poland, Bulgaria, Romania and the Baltic states, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Right now, the A-10 is doing some fabulous work maintaining the currency and the qualifications of alliance JTACS [joint terminal attack controllers] in those countries,” Gorenc said. “It’s a great synergistic relationship that we have with the A-10 and some of these capabilities that our allies are continuing to develop and nurture.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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