During the course of this week, more specifically on May 28th, two B-52H Stratofortress bombers from the U.S Air Force (USAF) conducted a series of missions over the Baltic countries in a flight pattern that took them around the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad. Both aircraft belong to the 69th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron and were deployed from Fairford Air Base located in the United Kingdom.
Specifically, the B-52H flight began at 8:30 in the morning and lasted for a total of eight hours. It was part of the Bomber Task Force (BTF) Europe 24-3 deployment, which, according to the U.S Air Force, allows for “training with allies and partners to enhance shared understanding, trust, and interoperability.” Both bombers were visible for online tracking throughout the mission, indicating that the mission’s intention was not secretive at all but rather deterrent in nature.
A spokesperson for the USAF in Europe stated, “(it was) a demonstration of the ability of NATO allies and partner nations to seamlessly operate together to maintain a stable and prosperous Baltic Sea region (…) This sends a strong message to potential adversaries, deters aggression, enhances stability, and provides security to Euro-Atlantic audiences.”
According to the specialized media Air & Space Forces Magazine, the mission of the two American bombers was accompanied by fighters from three different NATO nations. Specifically, there were five German Eurofighter Typhoons, two MiG-29s from the Polish Air Force, and two EF-18 Hornets from the Spanish Air and Space Force.
It is worth noting that the recent deployment of B-52H bombers to their new base in the United Kingdom comprised a total of four units, all coming from the 5th Bomb Wing of the U.S Air Force Global Strike Command at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota. Since their arrival, the aircraft had also participated in exercises with the Swedish Navy on May 22nd, involving ground target attack practices.
*Image credits: Senior Airman Kyle Wilson
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