An American B-52H Stratofortress strategic bomber conducted a target strike exercise on the Sotinpuro range in eastern Finland, near the Russian border, announced the Finnish Air Force. After the training mission, the aircraft entered Estonian airspace, approaching the Russian border to about 50 kilometers, reports The Moscow Times.
In Finnish airspace, the bomber was escorted by Finland’s F/A-18 Hornet aircraft, and in Estonia, by the British Royal Air Force’s Eurofighter Typhoon. A NATO AWACS E-3A Sentry aircraft also operated simultaneously over Estonia, ensuring surveillance and coordination of the flight.
According to the American command, the bombers will carry out a series of training missions simulating operations under “high threat level” conditions. The military emphasizes that such deployments allow American crews to perfect their rapid response capability and maintain a solid deterrence potential on NATO’s eastern flank and in the Arctic area.
At the end of September, in the context of strengthening NATO’s presence in the Baltic Sea, the United States deployed patrol aircraft capable of detecting and neutralizing submarines, as well as participating in naval operations. At least three Boeing P-8A Poseidon aircraft were stationed at Gardermoen Airport in Norway.
On September 28, one of these aircraft flew over the Baltic Sea for several hours, making circles near the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, where one of the Baltic Fleet bases is located. The Norwegian Armed Forces’ General Staff explained the flight as “support for allied operations” in the region.