Gen. Tom Hobbins, US Air Forces in Europe boss, has been in Moscow at the air show, where he told reporters that USAFE’s relationship with the Russian Air Force has “reached an all-time high over the past year.” Russian President Vladimir Putin also attended the air show, where he enlarged upon his decision last week to reinstate routine strategic bomber flights, saying he also intended to reinvigorate the country’s lagging aerospace industry. While the White House and State Department publicly are shrugging off the return of the Russian bomber patrols, there is some concern at the Pentagon about side effects. Read more here.
The U.S. supports “a stronger and more capable” European defense, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said during an Oct. 22 press conference in Brussels—but that defense should not duplicate the functions and capabilities of the NATO alliance.