The U.S. Air Force may send F-22 Raptors to Europe as a show of force against Russian aggression.
Secretary of the Air Force Deborah James told CNN on Tuesday that she sees Russia’s actions in the region as “the biggest threat” to European allies.
“It’s extremely worrisome on what’s going on in the Ukraine,” the secretary told CNN while at the Paris Air Show. “I could easily see the day — though I couldn’t tell you the day exactly — when the F-22, for example, rotates in is a possibility. I don’t see why that couldn’t happen in the future. The F-22 cannot be matched by any known or projected fighter aircraft.”
The United Nations estimates that roughly 6,400 people have died since fighting in eastern Ukraine erupted in April 2014. Russia has consistently denied that it is supplying military aid to pro-Russian separatist rebels since the annexation of Crimea.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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