Air and Space Forces Magazine
Stealthy U.S. Air Force F-35s, accompanied by NATO allies’ aircraft, are flying across Europe in an air and missile defense exercise, as the threat from ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones has grown throughout the world, U.S. Air Forces in Europe said.
The U.S.-led exercise, dubbed Astral Knight, runs from May 6-21. U.S. Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) said “recent conflicts, such as those in Ukraine and Israel,” stressed the urgency of promptly countering aerial threats. NATO has also put a renewed focus on conducting more realistic training scenarios since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine brought the reality of a large-scale war to Europe.
