Military experts in the U.S. are urging Western nations to bolster Ukraine’s air defenses, fearing that Russia will swiftly take over its former territory’s airspace.
While the Navy mandates that squadrons maintain a mission capability rate of 80 percent, the Poseidon’s mission capability rate ranged from 53 to 70 percent from October 2018 to March 2020.
Amid Russia’s massive troop buildup along the border with Ukraine, the top U.S. commander in Europe is warning that NATO is prepared to respond to aggression.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made the announcement after talks with German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer on his first tour of Europe since becoming Pentagon chief in January.
By Robert Burns, The Associated Press and Howard Altman
About 34,500 U.S. troops are stationed in Germany, including key American military facilities like the Ramstein Air Base and the headquarters for AFRICOM and EUCOM.