Bomber Task Force: B-52s Form Up With Norway F-16s - plus Sweden goes on alert
On 21 August 2020,6 US Air Force B-52H Stratofortress heavy bombers out of Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota flew to Northern Europe for strategic drills with the Norwegian Air Force.The bombers were met by F-16 fighter aircraft launched from Bodo Air Base in Northern Norway.Meeting outside Norwegian air space,they flew in formation to the north of Thule Air Base, Greenland,then south over the Fram Strait and Norwegian Sea,an area Russia includes in its Bastion Defence concept.
Commander US Air Forces Europe GEN Jeff Harrington said the B-52 presence proves the ability to quickly respond to Partner and Ally requests at a moment's notice, and that this will be a very active presence.
On 24 August 2020, Swedish Armed Forces Chief of Operations Jan Thornqvist issued a statement:
The Armed Forces has launched a contingency operation in the Southeast and Central Baltic Sea Region. We live in a turbulent time, the global security environment is undergoing many changes and we are seeing a deteriorating security situation in the immediate area.
Extensive military operations are underway in the Baltic Sea Region, both from Russia and the West,in a way that hasn't been experienced since the Cold War... Overall, the situation is more unstable, more conflict-ridden and more difficult to predict.The current developments in Belarus remind us of this.
The focus of the contingency effort is to strengthen surveillance in the Baltic Sea and from the air.In addition, the military presence on Gotland is increasing...The unpredictable security situation in our immediate area places high demands on our accessibility and preparedness.*
No comments:
Post a Comment