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Stoltenberg Claims NATO's Stealth Fighter Jets May Degrade Russia's Air Defences

© REUTERS / Francois LenoirNATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg holds up a ceremonial hammer at the start of a NATO-Georgia defence ministers meeting at the Alliance headquarters in Brussels, Belgium February 16, 2017.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg holds up a ceremonial hammer at the start of a NATO-Georgia defence ministers meeting at the Alliance headquarters in Brussels, Belgium February 16, 2017. - Sputnik International
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NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg made the remark during an editorial board meeting with the Washington Examiner on Sunday.

Jens Stoltenberg has claimed that the most advanced allied fighter-bomber aircraft can undermine Russia’s ability to use anti-access/area denial systems, commonly referred to as A2/AD, to jeopardise NATO territory, according to the Washington Examiner.

READ MORE: NATO Has Been Preparing For Collapse of INF Treaty for Months – Report

While noting that there is no “imminent threat” of a Russian invasion, the secretary-general said "the [NATO] fifth-generation fighter jets are extremely capable to be able to deal with A2/AD. So it's not like A2/AD is a kind of 100 percent blockage, it just requires more effort and more advanced systems. And we are investing in those".

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According to the newspaper, the former Norwegian prime minister referred to the F-22’s air superiority and F-35 fighter bomber’s platforms, suggesting that stealth capabilities make them hard to track and destroy, which is “major problem for Russian war-planners”.

Stoltenberg’s comments echoed 2016 remarks by US Gen. Philip Breedlove, commander of US European Command, who said that it was essential to invest in “those capabilities and capacities that allow us to enter into an A2/AD environment and be able to reinforce it”.

Military analyst Dave Majumdar has meanwhile penned an article for The National Interest, suggesting that Gen. Breedlove was referring to the F-22 Raptor and F-35 stealth jets, “which are better able to tackle modern Russia-built advanced integrated” air defence systems, such as the S-300 and S-400.

READ MORE: Turkey to Purchase Russian S-400 Regardless of Potential Patriot Deal With US

A Pantsir-S surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery weapon system and a S-400 Triumf anti-aircraft weapon system during the combat duty drills of the surface to air-misile regiment in the Moscow Region. - Sputnik International
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Turkey Refuses to Cancel S-400 Purchase as Precondition for US Patriot Deal
In the meantime, Turkey is all set to become NATO’s first member-state to acquire the Russia-made S-400 missile defence system regardless of a US counter-proposal to purchase its Patriot systems.

Washington has consistently expressed concern over Ankara’s decision to go ahead with the purchase of the Russian air defences, and threatened to block the delivery of US-made F-35s in retaliation. 

The Pentagon has been alarmed over the fact that Ankara’s acquisition of S-400s along with F-35s may provide Russian experts with key insights into the radar’s cross sections, flight profile, and other sensitive information related to the fighter jet’s technology.

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