NATO members concerned about Russia ‘military posturing’
Romania, Turkey and Poland have expressed concern about what they call Russia’s “increasing and visible offensive military posturing,” near NATO borders.
The foreign ministers of the three NATO members on the eastern flank issued a statement condemning “the repeated violation of NATO airspace, the continued military buildup in Crimea and Kaliningrad” and “continued violation of obligations and commitments on arms control.”
The Sept. 11 statement accused Russia of using hybrid tactics that have “serious implications for the regional security and beyond.”
Russia on Sept. 11 launched its largest military exercise since the Cold War that will also involve thousands of Chinese troops, amid worsening relations with the West.
Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu met his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu and Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz in Bucharest to discuss regional security issues. AP
Mattis: Afghans boost troop vetting after insider attacks
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis says the Afghan military has increased its vetting of local forces working with American troops as a result of recent insider attacks that killed two U.S. service members.
Mattis says Afghan President Ashraf Ghani raised the issue when the two men met in Kabul last week, amid increased concerns about Afghan forces attacking the U.S. troops they work alongside. Mattis, in his first public comments about the meeting, tells reporters at the Pentagon that Afghan leaders have increased training and security checks to make certain they are identifying any Afghans who have been radicalized.
The two leaders also discussed security for the upcoming parliamentary election and broader plans on how to sustain the military fight while also seeking reconciliation with the Taliban to end the war. AP
Two pilots eject when Air Force jet veers off runway in Texas
The U.S. Air Force says two pilots were injured slightly after ejecting when a twin-jet training aircraft veered off a runway before takeoff at a northwestern Texas Air Force base.
Officials say the accident involved a T-38 Talon aircraft. It happened shortly after 10 a.m., Sept. 11 at Sheppard Air Force Base near Wichita Falls, Texas.
The aircraft was assigned to the 80th Flying Training Wing based at Sheppard.
Officials identified the pilots as Maj. Christian C. Hartmann of the Luftwaffe, the German air force, and 1st Lt. Charles T. Walet of the U.S. Air Force. He’s assigned to Vance Air Force Base in Enid, Okla., and was on temporary duty at Sheppard.
Last month, a pilot ejected safely from a T-38 Talon that crashed in western Oklahoma. AP