U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Tessa B. Corrick
- Last week, US Air Force B-52 bombers in Europe trained alongside Norwegian F-16 fighters over the Norwegian Sea.
- Russian bombers escorted by interceptors reportedly did the same thing on the same day, though it’s unclear if they were in the same area at the same time.
- Russia has protested the deployment of US heavy bombers to Europe as tensions between Washington and Moscow remain high.
In recent weeks, US bombers have been flying regular training missions with NATO allies, practicing deterrence and preparing for the possibility of conflict.
Last week, five US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress heavy long-range bombers drilled with Norwegian F-16 fighters over the Norwegian Sea.
A pair of Russian Tu-160 bombers, escorted by Mikoyan MiG-31 interceptor aircraft, did the same on the exact same day, The Barents Observer first reported, citing a Norwegian military spokesperson.
US B-52 bombers arrived in the European theater of operations in mid-March to train with allies and partners.
US Air Force
Read More: A big batch of B-52 bombers is flying into Europe amid heightened tensions with Russia
With a half-dozen B-52s in Europe, the US military currently has more of these bombers operating there than it has at any time since 2003. Noticeably on edge, Russia has been highly critical of the ongoing training exercises.
U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Tessa B. Corrick
While the US military insists the flights demonstrate US "commitment to allies and partners through the global employment of military forces," the Kremlin has argued that US and NATO actions are detrimental to regional security and stability.
Source: Military.com, Fox News
On March 28, five US B-52s operating out of RAF Fairford drilled alongside Norwegian F-16s in the vicinity of the Norwegian Sea.
U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Tessa B. Corrick
Some of the recent training flights involving the B-52s have reportedly included mock strikes on surface targets.
Source: US Air Forces in Europe, The War Zone
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
See Also:
- The US military is dusting off this Cold War tactic in hopes of catching Russia off guard
- 10 of the most powerful weapons NATO has to take on Putin’s Russia
- On its 70th anniversary, NATO is bigger than ever — here are its 29 members in action
Source: Business Insider – rpickrell@businessinsider.com (Ryan Pickrell)