Four Panavia Tornado F3 fighters from the UK Royal Air Force's 43 Sqn arrived in Lithuania in mid-October to begin a three-month service deployment to protect the airspace of Lithuania and fellow NATO entrants Estonia and Latvia. The UK detachment follows Belgian and Danish Lockheed Martin F-16s deployed to the region since April.
Source: Flight International
The January incident at Ellsworth AFB resulted in the destruction of the $450 million bomber and a rare quadruple ejection of the crew, who were attempting to execute an instrument landing during poor weather.
Athens signed a long-sought letter of offer and acceptance with airframer Lockheed Martin covering 20 F-35 stealth fighters, with options for a further 20 jets.
The joint North American Aerospace Defense Command dispatched fighter aircraft from both the USA and Canada on 24 July to intercept a combined flight of bombers from Russia and China operating in international airspace around Alaska.
