USAF F-35 Fighters Deployed Along Russia's Border With Estonia

The US Air Force has deployed F-35A stealth Joint Strike Fighters to Estonia that borders with Russia.

The reason for the deployment is said to be to train with aircraft from the US and allied militaries.

The aircraft have been deployed from a base in the UK, CNN reported Tuesday.

The deployment of the F-35s, eight of which arrived in the UK on April 15 from their base in Utah, was after it was reported that Russian bombers have been engaged in flights along the Alaskan coast.

The F-35A deployment to Europe as part of a program set up after Russia annexed Crimea from the Ukraine in 2014,

The F-35s are recent example of US Air Force jets sent to Europe in connection with the European Reassurance Initiative.  In the past other fighters such as F-22s, F-16s, F-15s and A-10s have been sent.

Thousands of US ground forces have also been deployed in Europe as part of the program, including a US Army Armored Combat Brigade Team sent into Poland with great fanfare in January.

However, Russia considers the deployment as threat. "This is an action that threatens our interests, our security," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

US fighter jets intercepted Russian planes four times in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone last week, US officials said.

The fighter jets arrived at the Ämari Air Base on Tuesday and will remain in the Baltic country for “several weeks.” The Air Force will also deploy F-35 jets to Romania, another NATO ally.