B-52 Stratofortess bombers have kicked off yet another Bomber Task Force deployment, with the first aircraft touching down at RAF Fairford, UK, the Pentagon said, Report informs referring to Airspace Forces.
The bomber task force “will provide numerous training and operational opportunities alongside NATO allies and regional partners,” Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder told reporters on May 21. “This deployment underscores the US commitment to NATO’s collective deterrence in defense of the Euro-Atlantic region against hostile actors.”
US Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) said in a news release that the first B-52s landed at RAF Fairford on May 20, and Ryder added the BTF is scheduled to include four bombers from Minot.
The bombers are part of the Department of Defense’s Large Scale Global Exercise series, which runs through June. In February, US European Command said the exercise series with US partners would include 11 separate training events in Europe. These include the recently concluded US-led Astral Knight integrated air and missile defense exercise, as well as two bomber task force missions. USAFE has not provided a detailed account of the plans for the latest B-52 deployment.