Back to the Future: Air Force deploys Cold War strategies to counter Russia
“We know going into the future we have an adversary that knows how we operate, so we have to change the game,” Air Force Lt. Col. Ryan Ferdinandsen, who leads the 351st Air Refueling Squadron, told Defense One. “We can’t always operate out of (RAF) Mildenhall.” A U.S. Air Force fighter wing based at nearby RAF Lakenheath is preparing for the arrival of its first F-35 stealth jet fighter for any future faceoff with Russia. According to Defense One, more than 50 additional F-35s are expected to follow by the end of 2023. A large hanger at the base will hold six F-35 simulators.