"Lt. Col. Fernando Allen has logged over 1,000 hours flying the EF-18, an American-made fighter jet designed specifically for the Spanish air forces. He firmly believes it's the "best machine ever made." Allen, the detachment commander of a Spanish Air Force wing deployed to Šiauliai Air Base to support NATO air policing operations, says the EF-18 fighter is perfect for intercepting fast-moving jets - or slow-flying drones. "I think it's the best multi-role asset because it's very easy for the pilot to get all the info in the cockpit," he told Business Insider during a visit to the air base this week. The jet's screen layout, he explained, is what makes it simple."
"Spain's 15th Wing deployed to Šiauliai in Lithuania at the start of December for a four-month rotation to contribute to NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission, designed to protect the airspace above and around Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia - the Baltic nations on the front lines of the alliance. Fighter jets are routinely scrambled on short notice from the Šiauliai base and other bases in the region to intercept Russian military aircraft flying over the Baltic Sea that aren't using their transponders, haven't filed official flight plans, or aren't communicating appropriately with air traffic control."
Spain's 15th Wing deployed to Šiauliai Air Base in Lithuania at the start of December for a four-month rotation to contribute to NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission. The 200-member detachment arrived with 11 EF-18M fighter jets, upgraded F/A-18 Hornets tailored for the Spanish air forces. Fighter jets from Šiauliai and nearby bases are routinely scrambled to intercept Russian military aircraft over the Baltic Sea that lack transponders, filed flight plans, or proper air-traffic-control communication. Lt. Col. Fernando Allen has logged over 1,000 hours on the EF-18 and praises its cockpit layout and multi-role versatility for interception tasks, including slow-flying drones.
Read at Business Insider
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