Two F-22s and a KC-135 landed Wednesday in Lithuania for training and as part of demonstration of the US commitment to NATO. The Raptors, deployed from the 95th Fighter Squadron at Tyndall AFB, Fla., are temporarily based at RAF Lakenheath, England, for a rotation through allied nations in Europe. The Raptors and 20 airmen were welcomed at Šiauliai Air Base by Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite, who said the arrival showed “that the United States is honoring its commitments and is ready to protect our region with all the most modern measures,” according to a US Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa release. The Raptors will be in Europe until May, and recently conducted training in Romania.
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…