Wolters hoped for a fleet of 450 F-35s
across europe over the next decade would
be a marked increase from current levels. So far according to manufacturer Lockheed Martin's website and other
public statements, at least 49 F-35 jets
have been delivered to allies including
the United Kingdom, Norway, Italy, Netherlands and Denmark with dozens more
on the way. Walter's comments come as the air force
is steadily increasing its F-35 presence
in europe.
Though F-35s have periodically deployed
to europe since 2017 Ralph Lakenheath in
england is slated to become the first
permanent US F-35 base in europe this fall. The 495th fighter squadron which is part
of the 48th fighter wing at lakenheath
will take on the nickname Valkyries when
it becomes the air force's first
uk-based F-35 squadron. There are currently more than 600 F-35
aircraft operating from nearly 30
locations worldwide, according to Lockheed Martin.
Wolters also said he's excited to see
what is in the works for the air force's
planned future next generation air
dominance program (NGAD) which defies
the traditional categorization of a
single platform, featuring a network
potentially including an advanced
fighter aircraft alongside sensors, weapons or drones. He added that the german british and
french also have initiatives in the
works on a potential sixth generation
fighter which couples with autonomous
weapons or drones. Reportedly, the move is part of nato's
long-term strategy to restore the
military balance between russia and the
alliance in europe.
From NATO's vantage point, russia poses a
serious military threat to its eastern
flank and to euro atlantic security more
broadly for three reasons. First, a military reform and
modernization program launched in 2008. Combined with significant increases in
defense spending over the past several
years has improved the capabilities of
russia's armed forces. Second, in the past decade russia has
demonstrated an unprecedented
willingness to use force as an
instrument of its foreign policy, as well
as an improved capacity to project
military power beyond its immediate
post-soviet periphery, ukraine for
example.
Third, the Kremlin has been conducting a
far more aggressive, anti-western foreign
policy, significantly ratcheting up
provocative military maneuvers near NATO members borders with russia intimating
nuclear threats and deploying
nuclear-capable missiles in the russian
exclave of Kaliningrad. As a result there is a growing
perception in the west that russia has
re-emerged as a revanchist, neo-imperialist, expansionist and hostile
power bent on dismantling the post-cold
war european security system and
dividing the continent into spheres of
influence.
On the other hand the kremlin has a
dramatically different perspective it
maintains that it is threatened by the
west and by instability not only around
russia's periphery but also at home. With NATO's expansion the alliance's
border with russia has shifted much
closer to the russian heartland. These fears however unjustified they
seem from the west's point of view have
prompted the kremlin to launch a
national mobilization effort to thwart
what it perceives as a direct western
threat to russian security.
As seen from the Kremlin over the past
20 years, the united states and nato have
undertaken numerous initiatives that
underscore the threat from the west. NATO expansion into eastern europe and the
baltics. NATO partnership programs with
states throughout the former soviet
union. Improvements in conventional, missile
defense and nuclear capabilities. Support
for anti-government uprisings and regime
change around russia's periphery and
assistance to opposition movements and
parties inside russia.
Specifically russian officials have
argued that the u.s and the alliance's
support for ukraine threatens russia's
security environment. Earlier in the week russia published a
set of stringent demands it is making of
the us and NATO which would end all
prospect of ukraine or any more former
soviet states joining the transatlantic
alliance and rewrite many of the
principles upholding european security
since the end of the cold war.
Those russian demands sound aggressive
to many western officials, many experts
believe that the increasing in F-35
purchases by nato european countries are
due the fears that russia will take
military action if their demands are not
fulfilled by the alliance.
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