The U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa Public Affairs has confirmed that U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bombers are conducting training flights in the Baltics and Poland as a clear and visible demonstration of U.S. commitment to regional security.
“These missions have been closely coordinated with the governments of the respective countries and the NATO Enhanced Forward Presence units operating there,” said in a statement.
According to media reports in recent weeks, U.S. Air Force B-52 nuclear-capable reportedly spotted flying near Russian coast.
B-52H Stratofortress strategic bomber of the U.S. Air Force, assigned to the 2nd Bomb Wing, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, flew for over one and a half an hour near the borders of Russia in the Kaliningrad and Leningrad regions.
The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed Saturday that a US B-52H Stratofortress multirole strategic bomber aircraft flew over the Baltic Sea approached to within about 93 miles (150 km) of Russia’s border.
“On March 15, 2019, a US Air Force B-52 aircraft with the transponder switched on performed a flight over international waters of the Baltic Sea parallel to Russia’s territorial waters,” the ministry said. “The plane did not approach Russia’s border closer than 150 kilometers and turned around immediately after Russian air defense systems on combat duty tracked it.”
A B-52 plane was last spotted over the Baltic Sea in 2017.
According to a statement released by the U.S. Air Force, the strategic bombers, part of the Bomber Task Force currently deployed to the U.S. European Command area of responsibility, are from the 2nd Bomb Wing, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana.
The aircraft arrived in theater on March 14-15 and are temporarily operating out of RAF Fairford. The deployment of strategic combers to the U.K. helps exercise RAF Fairford as the U.S. Air Forces in Europe’s forward training location for bombers.
