U.S. Air Force B-52s are headed to Europe for a Bomber Task Force rotation, Air & Space Forces Magazine confirmed Nov. 5.
The deployment is separate from the six B-52s that deployed to the Middle East this weekend to deter Iran and its proxies.
U.S. Air Forces in Europe announced the bomber task force on Nov. 1 but offered no details on the type and number of aircraft or where they would go, only noting that the bombers “will train and operate alongside NATO Allies and partners for several weeks demonstrating the U.S. commitment to global security and stability.”
A U.S. defense official confirmed to Air & Space Forces Magazine that the task force—the first of fiscal 2025—will consist of B-52s.
On Nov. 5, the Finnish Air Force posted images on social media of a B-52 from Barksdale Air Force Base, La., flying a training mission alongside its fighters.
“The bomber entered Finnish airspace from the north and exited via the Gulf of Bothnia,” the Finnish Air Force stated. The Gulf of Bothnia separates Finland from Sweden.
Public flight tracking data also shows B-52s taking off from Barksdale and flying to RAF Fairford, United Kingdom, where the Air Force has based bomber task forces in the past.
The bombers’ arrival just a few days after B-52s landed in the Middle East gives the U.S. a heavy airpower presence near two major regional conflicts: Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and Israel’s operations against Hezbollah, Hamas, and Iran.
This marks the third consecutive bomber task force in Europe to feature B-52s. In May, Stratofortresses from Minot Air Force Base, N.D., deployed to Fairford and stayed there until June, and in July two Barksdale B-52s deployed to Romania for a week.
More recently, Minot B-52s flew to Poland and back over two days in September for a NATO training mission, an exercise that officials dubbed an “extension” of the Romania task force.