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U.S. F-22 aircrafts make symbolic deployment in Lithuania

Xinhua, April 28, 2016 Adjust font size:

Two F-22 Raptors, one of the most advanced fighter jets in the world, landed for a short visit in Lithuania on Wednesday.

According to the Lithuanian defense ministry, it was the first time the fifth-generation fighter aircrafts landed in Lithuania.

The aircraft landed in a military airbase in Siauliai, Northern Lithuania, which is the main location for allied air policing missions in the Baltic skies. The unannounced training deployment was attended by the country's top officials.

According to Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite, the deployment is a demonstration of U.S. security commitments to the region.

"We're sending the message that we stand ready to defend ourselves if it's necessary, and to defend with the most effective global measures," Grybauskaite told journalists at the military base.

Lithuanian Defense Minister Juozas Olekas said Lithuanian people can feel happy having "reliable partners."

"Every day, our security only increases with the every new deployment of our allies," Olekas said.

According to Lithuanian national radio LRT, after spending a few hours in Lithuanian military air base, F-22 Raptors returned to their deployment base in the UK. This year, the United States has deployed 12 F-22 Raptors in Britain from where they have been conducting training deployments in various NATO member countries.

Lithuania, a small Baltic State, has stepped up its defense capabilities since 2014 amid security tensions in eastern Ukraine. Enditem