U.S. A-10 jets arrive in Estonia to deter Russian aggression

AMARI AIR BASE, Estonia, Sept. 22 (UPI) -- Twelve A-10 Thunderbolt II jets and about 350 Airmen arrived at the Amari Air Base in Estonia on Monday as part of the effort to deter Russian aggression in Syria.

The airmen and aircraft were deployed from the 23rd Wing out of Moody Air Force Base in Georgia. They are tasked with performing military exercises in conjunction with NATO-allied forces in the region. U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Bryan France, 74th EFS commander, says the mission is a good opportunity to represent the U.S. Air Force in NATO, and a good way to condition the airmen to be a more effective force.

"The benefits to training with our NATO allies are astronomical," Lt. Col. France said in a statement, "being here in Eastern Europe to train alongside those military partners will enable us to better operate on the battlefield together. It also allows us to learn from each other which better prepares us to operate together in the future."

The 74th EFS airmen will deploy for 6 months as part of an exercise known as Operation Atlantic Resolve, a show of force against Russian military activity in Syria.

Russian military activity has been under closer scrutiny by NATO powers since the annexation of Crimea in March 2014, and the political support for armed separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's government has pledged material support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime as it battles both the dissenting Free Syrian Army and the Islamic State, Sunni militants also identified as Daesh or by the acronyms ISIS and ISIL.