Approximately 150 airmen from the 492nd Fighter Squadron at RAF Lakenheath, England, deployed to Bulgaria July 11 to take part in the two-week training exercise dubbed Immediate Response that pairs US and Bulgarian forces, reports Stars and Stripes. Ten F-15E Strike Eagles from the 492nd are scheduled to fly to Bulgaria for the start of the exercise on July 19. The 492nd plans to conduct air-to-air training with Bulgarian MiG-21s and MiG-29s.
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.