This week, F-16s were deployed to Bulgaria and Poland, bringing them to multiple locations in Eastern Europe and in relative proximity to Ukraine, which has just begun receiving its own F-16s. This is stated in an article published by the specialized publication "Air and Space forces magazine".
Six F-16s from the Oklahoma Air National Guard's 138th Fighter Wing arrived at Lask Air Force Base, Poland, on July 16, and six F-16s from the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Force Base, Italy, landed at Bulgaria's Bezmer Air Force Base the same day. day.
Oklahoma's F-16 fighters are in Poland as part of a rotating detachment of the 52nd Task Force - in 2011, Washington and Warsaw signed an agreement to establish a permanent detachment of US aircraft in Poland, mainly F-16s and C-130s.
The latest deployment is "a long-planned bilateral exercise between the U.S. Air Force and Poland to improve partner interoperability, maintain joint readiness, and preserve the rapid response capability essential to ensuring peace and stability in the region," it said. states in a statement from US Air Forces in Europe.
Lask is about 200 miles from Poland's border with Ukraine and has hosted a constant rotation of US Air Force fighter jets since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Most recently, four F-35s from RAF Lakenheath, UK, were deployed there in April as part of NATO's airspace security mission.
F-16s from Aviano are in Bulgaria for the Thracian Viper exercise, which takes place twice a year in the Balkan country. Forces from Romania, Greece, Croatia and Italy will also participate in it. Bulgaria is due to get its own F-16s in 2025 by purchasing the latest Block 70 jets from Lockheed Martin, and the exercise will give the Soviet-era fighters a chance to integrate and operate with the F-16s.
Bezmer is located less than 250 miles from southern Ukraine and close to the Black Sea.
Over the past few years, the U.S. Air Force has increased its presence in Eastern Europe and NATO's eastern flank, guarding airspace from Russian incursions as the war in Ukraine continues. Other deployment locations include Romania and Estonia.
Meanwhile, countries in the region such as Poland and Bulgaria are looking to modernize their air forces with new fighter jets. While Bulgaria is buying 16 F-16s, Poland is buying F-35s. Norway, the Netherlands and Belgium have promised Ukraine F-16s and are also in the process of buying F-35s.
At the recent NATO summit in Washington, officials announced that deliveries of F-16s to Ukraine are underway and the Ukrainians will begin operational use of them this summer. I BGNES
