435 CRSS aides Lielvarde AB to complete IFR certification

Two U.S. Air Force F-15 Eagle aircraft from Royal Air Force Lakenheath and a U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft from Royal Air Force Mildenhall fly over Lielvarde Air Base, Latvia during an instrument flight rules certification ceremony, September 2021. 435th Contingency Response Support Squadron air advisors, Michigan Air National Guard and Latvian Air Force collaborated over the past five years to complete an IFR certification, establish an air traffic control program and other airfield operations programs necessary to meet International Civil Aviation Organization standards. Lielvarde AB can now host Baltic air policing missions, future U.S. and NATO exercises and continue Agile Combat Employment operations in the region. The KC-135 provides the U.S. Air Force’s core refueling capability, promoting the force’s primary mission of global reach and aiding in aeromedical evacuation operations. The F-15 is an all-weather tactical aircraft designed to outperform and outfight any current enemy aircraft.