US sends dozen of F-35s to Middle East
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The US sent a dozen of US Air Force F-35s to the Middle East to beef up the airpower of US Central Command (CENTCOM) in the region, US Air Forces Central (AFCENT) spokesman announced on Wednesday.
AFCENT spokesman Col. Mike Andrews said, in a statement, that the F-35 will allow the US to fly in “contested airspace” if required.
The reinforcement shows the US’ commitment to maintain peace and security in the region, “through maritime support and support to the coalition’s enduring mission to defeat [Islamic State] ISIS in Syria,” Andrews said.
Russia has kept harassing US aircrafts and violating US airspace in Syria. The last was on Wednesday, as the White House reported that a Russian fighter jet fired flares and hit a US drone in Syrian airspace.
Over the last several years, the US and Russia have used a de-confliction line between the two militaries in Syria to avoid unintentional mistakes or encounters that can inadvertently lead to escalation.
On July 18, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General, Mark Milley, threatened the Russian forces in Syria, saying, “If there’s a hostile act, hostile intent, or if they’re acting unsafely or unprofessionally, then we’ll work through that, but we will protect ourselves.”
The reinforcement also was sent to “deter Iran from seizing oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz,” the AFCENT spokesman said.
The F-35 deployment consists of a squadron of stealthy multirole fighters from the 421st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron out of Hill Air Force Base, Utah.
There are now four fighter squadrons in CENTCOM: two F-16 squadrons, one A-10 squadron, and one F-35 squadron.