The U.S. Air Force has released a statement saying that the one squadron of F-22 Raptors, Airmen, and associated equipment arrived at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany.
According to a statement, the U.S. Air Force has deployed one squadron of F-22 Raptors, Airmen and associated equipment to Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, from the 95th Fighter Squadron, 325th Fighter Wing, at Tyndall AFB, Fla., to conduct air training with other Europe-based aircraft as part of a Flying Training Deployment.
The F-22s arrived Aug. 8 and will remain in Europe for several weeks. This training deployment to Europe is funded in part by the European Deterrence Initiative.
The F-22s will also forward deploy from Germany to operating locations within other NATO member nations in order to maximize training opportunities while strengthening the NATO alliance and deterring regional aggression.
In August 2015, the Air Force deployed four F-22s to Europe for the first time as part of the European Reassurance Initiative, now renamed the European Deterrence Initiative.
The F-22 and the F-35 are the world’s premier operational 5th-generation fighters, possessing a unique combination of stealth, speed, agility, and situational awareness along with lethal long-range, air-to-air and air-to-ground weaponry, making these aircraft the best air dominance fighters in the world.
Their presence in the European theatre underscores our ability to deter current and potential threats, assure our allies, and respond in a timely way should deterrence fail.