B-1Bs Arrive in Europe,Testing Agile Combat Deployment

On 6 October 2021,the first two of four US Air Force B-1B Lancer strategic bombers,together with their support equipment and some 200 personnelfrom the 9th Expeditionary Bomb Wing out of Dyess AFB,Texas arrived at RAF Fairford,England for a Bomber Task Force mission.The bombers were escorted by Royal Air Force fighter jets as they entered the theatre.The rotational mission will allow the bomber crews to deploy to unfamiliar airfields for integration with coalition Allies and Partners to enhance readiness.According to U.S. Air Forces Europe-Air Forces Africa Commander,General Jeff Harrigian: BTF missions amplify our coalition reach and project our collective airpower across theaters.By training and integrating with our Allies and Partners,we are expanding our ability to adapt to challenges and counter adversaries in the global security environment.* The bomber crews will fly the warplanes to strategic areas including the Arctic,Baltic Sea and Black Sea Regions,developing their skills to integrate and use the weapon systems to their maximum capacity.This is in the context of Russia's having made the Arctic a more contested region and strengthened its Anti-Access/Area-Denial capabilities in the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad;the Baltics;occupied Crimea;and on the Black Sea,posing a heightened threat to NATO's Eastern Flank. The Lancers are being deployed according to the Air Force's agile combat deployment concept.They will use ranges and conduct simulations from the high Arctic to the Horn of Africa,reducing reliance on traditional bases and shifting to dispersed forward operating locations,in accordance with the concept. Our NATO Allies and Partners seek engagement with the B-1Bs to ensure they can counter any adversarial threat within the region.Strategic bomber missions within USAFE-AFAFRICA theatres demonstrate the ability to rapidly deploy with NATO Allies and coalition Partners,providing necessary training to the joint force,U.S. European Command noted.