international debut of the F-35 joint strike fighter at two major air shows in the United Kingdom this year will send a pointed warning to bad actors in the region, according to the commander of US Air Forces in Europe.
Although he did not mention Russia by name in the context of the F-35, Gen. Frank Gorenc, NATO commander and head of USAFE, said the JSF’s planned appearance at the Royal International Air Tattoo and Farnborough air shows this summer will demonstrate the United States’ credibility, capability and willingness to retaliate against hostile forces.
“Fundamentally, deterrence is credibility, capability and willingness,” Gorenc said during an April 5 Defense Writers Group event in Washington. “That airplane is going to make what we do from the air and across the board — it will in itself help" boost deterrence. more
