The COVID-19 pandemic could make it more difficult for the U.S. Air Force’s newest F-35 squadron to organize its personnel and jets on schedule.The 356th Fighter Squadron at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, became the service’s northernmost fighter squadron after receiving its first two F-35s. The squadron is also looking for opportunities to deploy around the Asia-Pacific so that pilots can acclimate themselves to the long geographical distances that characterize the region, Christensen said.Everyone is excited just to have F-35s here because of the awesome training we can do, but we’re also thinking about at some point we have to project this air power out into the Indo-Pacific theater as a combat force.
Despite tough talk from the Chinese military, the U.S. vessels completed their planned transits unhindered, and Chinese defense officials issued statements typically unconstrained by facts.The Chinese defense ministry called the U.S. a troublemaker and the biggest force in pushing militarisation in the South China Sea.
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