The F-35 continues its watch of Europe’s eastern flank. The fifth-generation fighter unites several allied nations of NATO.  

U.S. Air Force F-35s have been forward deployed to join fighters from France and Belgium at Amari Air Base, Estonia, to conduct air patrols over the Baltic Sea Region as a part of NATO’s Air Shielding mission. The F-35s react on short notice and can be deployed from multiple locations.  

NATO’s Air Shielding mission provides a near seamless shield from the Baltic to the Black Sea, ensuring NATO allies are better able to safeguard and protect alliance territory, populations and forces from air and missile threat. 

The deployments are the latest repositioning of U.S. military forces to the Baltic region in support of NATO, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in late February 2022. Allied Air Command | USAF F-35s forward deploy for NATO Air Shielding mission