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More U.S. jets on NATO patrol in Baltics

06 March 2014 07:21 (UTC +04:00)

Baku – APA. The Pentagon will more than double the number of U.S. fighter jets on a NATO air patrol mission in the Baltics and do more training with Poland's air force as it strives to reassure allies alarmed by the crisis in Ukraine, APA reports quoting Reuters.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the United States would step up its participation in NATO's 10-year-old air policing missions over the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The duties rotate among NATO members. The United States took over air policing duties from Belgium in January, providing four F-15 aircraft through May. The jets are on call to respond to any violations of Baltic airspace. One U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Pentagon would send six additional F-15 jets and one KC-135 refueling aircraft this week to augment the mission.

A second U.S. defense official said there were about 10 U.S. Air Force personnel in Poland to support rotations of U.S. aircraft, including F-16 fighter jets, for training. Hagel said the United States would boost training with Poland's air force.