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Air Commandos assist with Estonian highway landing

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Nicole Keim
  • USAFE-AFAFRICA Public Affairs
Tallinn, Estonia --  Airmen of the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron participated in Sabre Strike 16 exercise in Estonia, by landing aircraft June 21, 2016, on a civilian highway.

Under the control of an Air Force Special Operations Command combat controller, an A-10C Thunderbolt II from the 107th Fighter Squadron used the highway as an improvised runwaynear Tallinn. Airmen of the 23rd STS also prepared the roadway with visual references the A-10 pilot used for the event.

U.S. forces are in Europe participating in Sabre Strike; a long-standing, U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff-directed, U.S. Army Europe-led cooperative-training exercise, which has been conducted annually since 2010. This year's exercise will focus on promoting interoperability with allies and regional partners

The United States has enduring interests in supporting peace and prosperity in Europe and bolstering the strength and vitality of NATO, which is critical to global security.