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USAF B-52 Stratofortresses complete double-transatlantic mission
A U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress from the 5th Bomb Wing, Minot Air Force Base, N.D., receives fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker from the 100th Air Refueling Wing, based at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, over the North Sea, Sept. 11, 2024. Bomber Task Force missions are representative of the U.S.’ extended deterrent commitment to Allies and partners and enhance regional security.
Photo by: U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jesenia Landaverde
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USAF B-52 Stratofortresses complete double-transatlantic mission
A U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress from the 5th Bomb Wing, Minot Air Force Base, N.D., receives fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker from the 100th Air Refueling Wing, based at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, over the North Sea, Sept. 11, 2024. Bomber Task Force missions are representative of the U.S.’ extended deterrent commitment to Allies and partners and enhance regional security.
Photo by: U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jesenia Landaverde
Photo 3 of 3
USAF B-52 Stratofortresses complete double-transatlantic mission
A U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress, assigned to the 23rd Bomb Squadron, passes the air traffic control tower during takeoff for a Bomber Task Force mission from Minot Air Force Base, N.D., Sept. 10, 2024. Bomber Task Force missions enable joint and Allied training, demonstrating the readiness of the U.S. and its Allies to respond to any incident at any time.
Two U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortresses completed a double-transatlantic training mission Wednesday, Sept. 11, demonstrating the service’s ability to integrate with Allied nation forces while providing global strike capabilities anytime, anywhere.
During the mission, the B-52s participated in a NATO-led integration exercise in Poland. This training exercise included aircraft and other units from the air, land, sea, cyber, and space domains that focused on integrating multi-domain effects from Allied nations, and improving command and control in a simulated, contested environment.
In this instance, more than two dozen fighters, refueling and other aircraft from multiple nations worked in close coordination for the event.
“The successful execution of this NATO-led mission affords us the opportunity to share best practices while also demonstrating our steadfast commitment to Allies,” said Gen. James Hecker, commander, U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa. “Our ability to work side-by-side with Allies is a key advantage, sending a message of assurance to our friends while also deterring potential aggressive actions by strategic competitors.”
The B-52s mission, which originated and concluded at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, and was conducted over Sept. 11-12, highlighted the agility of the aircraft crew and supporting units.
The September mission is an extension of Bomber Task Force 24-4 in Europe, which made history over the summer when two U.S. B-52s operated from Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base, Romania, for the first time.
BTF 24-4 is one of several exercises and military activities, under multiple combatant commands, which enables the U.S. joint force to train with Allies and partners and improve shared understanding, trust, and interoperability on security challenges across the globe.
BTF missions have taken place in Europe on a recurring basis since 2018.
