US F-35s Conduct “Air Policing” from Estonia

Video Above: Patriot Interceptor Missiles & F-35s Could Defend NATOs Eastern Flank Together 4

By Kris Osborn – President & Editor-In-Chief, Warrior Maven

US F-35s are conducting “air policing” missions from Estonia as part of a NATO effort to deter Russia from contemplating any possibility of expanding attacks beyond Ukraine. Launching from Estonia, an F-35 could easily hold areas of Russia at risk from the air, given that the F-35 has a combat radius of several hundreds miles.

F-35s, NATO, Russia & Ukraine

The Pentagon has also sent several KC-135 refueler tankers to Eastern Europe as well, a move which could greatly extend attack range and dwell time for F-35s should they be called upon for operational missions. 

The combination of F-35s and tanker aircraft throughout parts of Eastern Europe can clearly place the entire Eastern portion of the European continent at risk should Russian forces attempt to invade. F-35s could travel from the Baltic Sea down to the Black Sea and back, if supported by a tanker and provide air superiority across the continent.

While clearly operating with an ability to conduct air-to-air and air-to-ground combat attacks if necessary, the F-35s are also uniquely positioned to support ISR missions as well given the fighter’s sensors. 

As a multi-role fighter, the F-35 functions as a stealthy attack platform armed with air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles and air dropped bombs. The aircraft is built to use stealth to evade enemy radar and conduct air-to-air combat or dogfighting as needed as well. However, at the same time, the F-35 is also engineered with a new generation of drone-like sensing technology and advanced computer processing such that it could monitor, zoom-in on Russian convoys, troops movements and weapons repositioning.