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B-52 bombers deploy to Europe for military exercises

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By Oriana Pawlyk, Staff writer 1:41 p.m. EDT June 6, 2015
B-52 bombers deploy to Europe for military exercises

Three U.S. Air Force B-52 bombers deployed to Europe Friday where they will fly training missions over the Baltic Sea.

The Stratofortresses and 330 airmen, assigned to 5th Bomb Wing, Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, will participate in multinational exercises BALTOPS 15 and SABER STRIKE 15 during their month-long deployment to RAF Fairford, United Kingdom, an Air Force news release states.

The aircraft will demonstrate the "United States' long-range global strike capability" in the region in addition to coordinate training with partners and allies at a time when Russian-backed separatists have increased their offensive in eastern Ukraine.

Recently, Russian aircraft acted aggressively toward American warships in international waters. The Navy released footage last week of Russian Su-24 aircraft flying past the USS Ross in the Black Sea.

The bombers "will integrate into several exercise activities, including air intercept training, simulated mining operations during SABER STRIKE, inert ordnance drops during BALTOPS, and close air support" over international waters in the Baltic Sea and the territory of the Baltic states and Poland, according to the news release.

"This deployment to RAF Fairford was specifically designed and closely coordinated with the United Kingdom and our regional allies to ensure maximum opportunities to synchronize and integrate our bomber capabilities with their military assets," Navy Adm. Cecil Haney, U.S. Strategic Command commander, said in the release.

"Participation of B-52s in Exercises BALTOPS and SABER STRIKE demonstrates our nation's steadfast commitment to promoting regional stability and security, fostering cooperation and increasing interoperability as we work alongside our allies toward mutual goals," he said.

Last June, the Pentagon sent three B52s to Europe for similar training events one day after President Obama announced he would increase the U.S. military presence in the region following Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

According to U.S. Strategic Command, the recent deployment follows a series of several global missions for the bombers during the past year:

  • Two B-52s participated alongside Jordanian forces in Central Command's Exercise EAGER LION 2015 in May.
  • In April, four B-52s flew round-trip flights during exercise Polar Growl to the Arctic and North Sea regions.
  • B-52s also participated in NATO Exercise NOBLE JUSTIFICATION in October 2014, assisting in the exercise's focus of validating the Spanish Maritime Force as the 2015 Maritime NATO Response Force.
 
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It's a good sea-denial weapons platform:

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Mark 60 CAPTOR mine (encapsulated torpedo)

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Mark 60 CAPTOR

Mk 62 Quickstrike Mine:

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100914-F-9734P-955.JPG


Quickstrike

Mk 56:

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US Sending B-52s To Sweden As Russian Bombers Skirt Swedish Airspace

 
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