Summary and Key Points: Two U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress bombers flew from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, to Mihail Kogalniceanu Airbase, Romania, as part of Bomber Task Force 24-4. This historic flight marked the first time the bombers flew over Finland, a new NATO member, and headed to Romania.
-En route, the B-52s were intercepted by Russian aircraft over the Barents Sea but continued their mission without incident.
-The deployment, which integrates with NATO allies and partners, emphasizes refining agile combat employment tactics and enhancing regional security amidst rising global tensions.
A flight from Louisiana to Romania is already a long haul, even for United States Air Force pilots who are used to spending considerable time in the air. However, on Sunday, the flight from Barksdale Air Force Base (AFB), Louisiana – the home for a pair of two U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress bombers – to Mihail Kogalniceanu Airbase, Romania, was a bit longer than usual.
The bombers departed from Barksdale for Bomber Task Force 24-4, and for the first time flew over Finland, one of NATO's newest members, before heading south to Romania, also for the first time. In addition to those historic firsts, the trip was noted as bit eventful according to the U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa.
"While flying in international airspace and in accordance with international law, the U.S. B-52 aircraft were intercepted by two Russian aircraft over the Barents Sea at approximately 8 a.m. Central European Time. The U.S. aircraft did not change course due to the intercept and continued along their scheduled flight plan without incident, allowing the B-52s to perform their pre-planned mission which included integration alongside NATO fighter aircraft before landing at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base," USAFE-AFAFRICA said in a statement on Sunday.
Russian state media claimed that the B-52s were prevented "from violating the Russian state border," and were intercepted by Russian Aerospace fighters.
"On July 21, Russian means of airspace control over the Barents Sea detected a group of air targets approaching the Russian state border. In order to identify the air target and prevent the violation of the Russian state border, MiG-29 and MiG-31 fighters were raised in the air. The crews of the Russian fighters identified the air target as two B-52N strategic bombers of the US Air Force," the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement, as reported by Tass.
During the flight from Lapland to the Gulf of Finland, Finnish F/A-18 Hornets provided escort to the B-52s, according to a post from the Finnish Defence Forces on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. The U.S. bombers also proceeded to fly over the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, and then onto Poland.
From Romania, the B-52s will now operate as the 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, the air service also announced. During the BTF 24-4 deployment, the pair of Stratofortress bombers will integrate with NATO allies and other international partners.
"In today's global environment, it is vital that we be postured to deliver a range of sustainable capability from great distances. This iteration of Bomber Task Force offers an excellent opportunity to refine our agile combat employment tactics, techniques, and procedures," said Gen. James Hecker, USAFE-AFAFRICA commander. "Through collaborative efforts with our Allies, the U.S. enables our forces to combat current and future threats."
The previous BTF deployment saw four B-52H bombers from the 69th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron from Minot AFB, North Dakota, operate from Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairford, UK. Those bombers arrived in the British Isles on May 20, with the first pair departing on June 18, while the second two bombers returned to the United States two days later. As noted by USAFE-AFAFRICA, these deployments serve to enable dynamic force employment in Europe, where the aircraft operate alongside NATO members and other regional partners.
"The U.S. is dedicated to work alongside our NATO Allies and partners along the Eastern Flank to ensure we have the combined skills and coordination capabilities necessary to maintain regional safety, security, and stability," added Hecker.
Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.
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