UK deploying Typhoon warplanes near Russia borders: Fallon
The UK defense secretary has announced plans to deploy four Royal Air Force (RAF) Typhoon warplanes to the Baltic region in order to deter “Russian aggression.”
British Defense Secretary Michael Fallon made the announcement on Friday, saying the deployment “underlines our commitment to the sovereignty of the democratic nations of Eastern Europe.”
The Typhoons will be deployed in Estonia’s Amari airbase, from where they would join the NATO Baltic Air Policing (BAP) mission.
“24 hours a day, seven days a week for the next four months, our RAF Typhoons will be ready to respond instantly to Russian aggression in Baltic airspace,” Fallon noted.
The deployment marks Britain’s third consecutive year of partaking in the BAP, after rotations in 2014 and 2015. During their last deployment, Typhoon fighters were scrambled 17 times, and intercepted over 40 Russian aircraft.
During one launch last July, the Typhoons allegedly intercepted 10 separate Russian aircraft, including eight fighters.
Under BAP, NATO members take turns in protecting the airspace of those members who lack a formidable air force.
The UK says it is “playing a central role in responding to Russian aggression in Eastern Europe” by training the Ukrainian military forces in their fight against the pro-Russian separatist forces in the country’s eastern parts.
The London government has pledged to contribute over 4,000 Armed Forces personnel this year to help the Ukrainian military.
It has also deployed HMS Iron Duke and several other warships near the Russian territorial waters in the Baltic Sea.
The announcement by Fallon comes after NATO’s recent pledge to expand its military presence in Eastern Europe.
Russia and NATO have been locked in a deepening dispute. The US-led military alliance accuses Russia of backing militias in eastern Ukraine.
Moscow denies the allegation, arguing that the Western military pact is using the years-long conflict as an excuse to move closer to its borders.
According to the United Nations, over 9,000 people have lost their lives and some 20,000 have been injured in the Ukraine conflict since April 2014.
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