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 Pentagon has concluded a new agreement to buy laser-guidance kits that turn rockets into drone-killing weapons. BAE Systems and the Defense Department announced a framework deal of up to seven years for 25,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System guidance kits annually for the U.S. military.