The U.S. Air Force has conducted its first ever deployment of F-35 stealth fighters to Thule Air Base in Greenland, which represents the Pentagon’s northernmost base facility and is well positioned to place further pressure on Russian forces in the Arctic. The facility is located 1200km north of the Arctic Circle, and hosted the F-35s as part of the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) exercise Operation Noble Defender which took place from January 15 to January 31. The exercise was described by the Pentagon as “a series of long-planned NORAD operations validating the command’s capability and readiness to defend the United States and Canada against threats from every avenue of approach, in any environment, and demonstrate the ability to integrate with other defence and security partners for a holistic defence of North America.” F-35s involved were drawn from the 356th Fighter Squadron based at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, which is the closest facility hosting fifth generation aircraft. Other assets involved included a B-52H strategic bomber, four KC-135 transports, one CC-150 aerial tanker, and a E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS), as well as CF-18 Hornet fourth generation fighters from the Royal Canadian Air Force. As the F-35 forms a fast growing portion of the American fighter fleet, Canada is also set to replace its F-18s with the next generation jets.
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