US to Deploy 12 F-16s, 300 Airmen to Poland
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iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — The Pentagon is sending 12 F-16s and about 300 airmen to Poland later this week as part of the augmented training that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced last week in light of the situation in Ukraine.
The aircraft and airmen are part of the 555th fighter squadron that is based in Aviano, Italy, and there is no end date to this deployment. Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren said they will be in Poland “until further notice.”
They are to augment the existing 10-person team known as an “aviation detachment” that is based in Poland to help with various U.S. aircraft training rotations that occur every couple of months.
It’s not known how long the F-16s will remain in Poland, but their arrival won’t affect already scheduled training rotations of C-130s later this month and F-16s in April and May.
Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren told reporters Wednesday that sending the F-16s was a “deliberate choice to demonstrate to our allies that U.S. commitments to our collective defense responsibilities are credible and remain in force.” He added, “the work we’re doing in Poland does just that.”
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