military
USA moves electronic warplanes to Germany
The US base in Spangdahlem in Rhineland-Palatinate. Photo: Harald Tittel/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
They are intended to mislead radar and can disable enemy air defenses: Six special US combat aircraft are relocated to Rhineland-Palatinate.
In view of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, the US armed forces are relocating six aircraft to Germany for electronic warfare.
The US Navy’s six Boeing EA-18 Growler fighter jets would be relocated from the north-western state of Washington to the US base in Spangdahlem in Rhineland-Palatinate, Defense Department spokesman John Kirby said on Monday. Around 240 soldiers would be transferred with the aircraft, including technicians and pilots for the machines.
According to Kirby, the fighter jets are useful, for example, in helping to take out an enemy state’s air defenses. The machines’ special electronics can fool enemy radar, he explained. Kirby emphasized that the machines should not be used against the Russian military in Ukraine, but should serve to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank and act as a deterrent to Russia. The machines should arrive in Germany during Monday, he said.
The transfer was coordinated with the German federal government, Kirby said. He emphasized that it was a precautionary measure to strengthen military capabilities on NATO’s eastern flank. The relocation of the machines is not a response to a specific threat scenario, he added.
US President Joe Biden has significantly expanded the presence of US forces in Europe since the beginning of the year in view of the greater threat posed by Russia. Their number has risen from around 80,000 to a good 100,000. Most of the recent reinforcements have been sent to countries on NATO’s eastern flank, including those in the Baltics, Poland and Romania. Around 35,000 US soldiers are stationed in Germany.