US military deploys 2 MQ-1 Predators to Latvia
The United States has deployed two surveillance drones to Eastern Europe, where military exercises are being held in the face of what the US and its allies call a possible Russian “aggression” amid a conflict in Ukraine.
The Pentagon announced Monday that the move is part of the "European Reassurance Initiative."
The deployment also included 70 personnel, who will remain in Latvia along with the MQ-1 Predator drones up to mid-September, when the exercises will end.
The drones were dispatched on Friday, the Pentagon said.
"This temporary assignment of aircraft and personnel will test their ability to forward deploy RPA (remotely piloted aircraft) to conduct air operations," said Major James Brindle, a Pentagon spokesman, further claiming that the move would "assure our Latvian allies, NATO allies and European partners of our commitment to regional security and safety."
The US military has also dispatched four F-22 stealth tactical fighter aircraft to Germany, where they took part in a joint exercise with Polish F-16 fighter planes on Monday.
Captain Lauren Ott, a spokeswoman for US Air Forces in Europe, said there was no connection between the two deployments.
The move could further ruin Washington-Moscow relations, in tatters since the crisis began in Ukraine.
The US and its allies accuse Moscow of supporting the Russian-speaking fighters in eastern Ukraine, and supplying their troops with military aid, reinforcements, and resources, allegations the Kremlin denies.
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