In recent times, the fighters of the Russian Aerospace Forces have suffered losses one after another, and the Ukrainian side claims to have shot down the A-50U airborne early warning aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces twice. However, the Russian Ministry of Defense did not confirm the results of the war in Ukraine. In addition to announcing the downing of the A-50U airborne early warning aircraft, Ukraine also claimed to have shot down a number of warplanes, including the Su-34 and Su-35. The outside world has questioned the claim that Ukraine has shot down Russian Aerospace Forces fighters many times, and some have even claimed that the US Air Force's F-35A Lightning II fighter jets are directly involved in the Ukrainian conflict.
As soon as the news came out that Singapore would purchase 12 F-35A fighters, the US Air Force F-35A fighters were on combat duty in Ukraine, which made the US Pentagon quite embarrassed. Singapore's defense minister claimed that the U.S. Air Force had used F-35A stealth fighter jets to participate in combat missions in Ukraine, during which it actively collected Russian air defense systems and other intelligence. However, on March 4, the US Pentagon issued a "final word" response to Singapore's disclosure on February 28. According to the information available, the US Air Force has indeed permanently deployed F-35A fighters in Europe.
The US Air Force has previously deployed F-35A fighter jets to Ukraine's neighbors, including Poland, and carried out missions in airspace close to Ukraine. In addition, the F-35A fighters of the US Air Force are also active in military operations close to Belarus and Russia, trying to put pressure on them. In terms of the scale of equipment and the technical level of fifth-generation fighters, Russia is clearly in a suppressed position. In addition to the F-35A fighters, the United States also has two fighter jets, the F-35B and F-35C, and all three services are equipped with the F-35 family of fighters, and the U.S. Marine Corps is equipped with both F-35B and F-35C fighters.
The F-35A fighters deployed by the US Air Force in Europe are not only capable of approaching Ukraine, but also a number of reconnaissance aircraft are actively operating. The United States and NATO have long operated in the airspace of Poland and Romania, as well as patrolling the Black Sea. During this period, the US Air Force's MQ-9 Reaper drone was knocked over by the Russian Air Force's Su-27 fighter. In the face of the Ukraine crisis, the United States and NATO platforms are closely monitoring the dynamics of the region.
However, according to the statements of the Pentagon, the United States did not use F-35A fighter jets to participate in the conflict in Ukraine. A Pentagon spokesman made it clear that the United States does not use F-35A fighter jets in Ukraine, but remains committed to providing Ukraine with air defense systems and other military assistance. Since 2022, the United States has provided more than $40 billion in military assistance to Ukraine, including army tactical missiles with long-range strike capabilities, according to a report by the United States. In fact, U.S. military aid to Ukraine has been escalating, and last year it approved plans to supply F-16 family fighter jets to Europe.
This series of events has made the crisis in Ukraine more complicated and has attracted widespread attention from the international community. All sides are concerned about the role and actions of the United States in this conflict. The U.S. Air Force's F-35A fighter jets remain a major focus of the regional security situation, and their activities and deployments will continue to tug at the nerves of many parties.