SUFFOLK, UK — The United States Air Force shared a video that shows a fighter jet taking-off in Suffolk for a night exercise to stay battle-ready for NATO allies.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 European and North American countries.
The training exercise took place at Royal Air Force Lakenheath in Suffolk, the largest US Air Force-operated base in England. Despite being a Royal Air Force station, Lakenheath currently only hosts the United States Air Force units and personnel.
The host wing is the 48th Fighter Wing, also known as the Liberty Wing, and is assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe.
“The 48th Fighter Wing conducts night operations at @48FighterWing, England,” the United States Air Force shared a video on their official Twitter handle. “Through daily training, Airmen are postured to provide lethal combat airpower to its NATO allies.”
The video was shot by Rachel Maxwell and shows the fighter jet taking off for night operations.
The Liberty Wings-48th Force Support Squadron conducts daily training sessions to ensure the aircrews are prepared to provide lethal combat airpower to its NATO allies.
It consists of four squadrons of F-15C/D/E Eagle and support personnel capable of accomplishing fighter operations worldwide. The squadron maintains combat-ready forces for the U.S. European Command, U.S. Africa Command, and NATO operations. The group provides training, equipment, scheduling, analysis, weather, intelligence, and command and control for all required flying operations
The Operations Support Squadron’s main function is to provide the operational foundation for three squadrons of F-15C/D/Es, capable of providing fighter operations in support of war plans and other contingency operations.
The first time Royal Air Force base Lakenheath in Suffolk was used during the First World war when the area was made into a bombing and ground-attack range for aircraft flying from elsewhere in the area. It appears to have been little used and was abandoned when peace came in 1918.
“In 1940, the Air Ministry selected Lakenheath as an alternative satellite for the Royal Air Force Mildenhall and was first used as a decoy airfield,” as per the Forces War Records. “Prior to actual construction, false lights, runways, and aircraft diverted Luftwaffe attacks from the nearby Royal Air Force Mildenhall.”
Lakenheath Airfield was initially used by Royal Air Force flying units on detachment late in 1941. The base in Suffolk holds over 4,500 active-duty military members, including around 1,000 British and US civilians.
Teams are prepared for every weather condition and the base is equipped with special air combat capabilities, such as the most advanced Joint Direct Attack Munitions used by the F-15E Strike Eagle fighter.
(Edited by Ojaswin Kathuria and Vaibhav Vishwanath Pawar)
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