Four F-16 Fighting Falcons and more than 100 airmen from the South Dakota Air National Guard’s 114th Fighter Wing deployed to Lask AB, Poland, on Sep. 3 in support of Aviation Detachment 16-4, a bilateral training exercise between the two countries, according to a press release. Because Polish air force pilots have a decade of experience flying F-16s, the exercise will include a wide range of scenarios. “We’re going to be doing a whole mix of what the F-16 does. Air-to-air, advanced air-to-air, air-to-ground, and then we’ll get into some close air support,” said Lt. Col. Quenten Esser, 114th Operations Group commander. “The No. 1 goal is to assure our allies in Europe. To show up, have a presence, do a little bit of training, and build partner capacity.” The deployment also included a visit with Polish cadets who are completing masters-level studies in engineering.
The U.S. military is sending more fighter jets to the Middle East to step up its war with Iran, adding to what is already the largest buildup of airpower in the region since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. For now, the operation shows little sign of coming to a quick…