news

한어Русский языкEnglishFrançaisIndonesianSanskrit日本語DeutschPortuguêsΕλληνικάespañolItalianoSuomalainenLatina

[Text/Observer Network Wang Shichun] According to the U.S. aviation website "Aviationist" on July 21, two U.S. military B-52H Stratofortress aircraft landed at the Mihail Cogalnicianu Air Force Base in Romania. This is the first time that U.S. bombers have landed in Romania.

The two bombers belong to the 2nd Bomb Wing of the U.S. Air Force at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana and are currently part of the "24-4" bomber task force. Finnish Air Force F/A-18C "Hornet" fighters and German Air Force "Typhoon" fighters escorted the B-52 bombers as they flew over the Gulf of Finland. Open source information shows that U.S. military tankers are suspected of refueling these B-52s in Finnish airspace. This may be the first time that the U.S. B-52 bombers have carried out missions over Finland, but the U.S. military has not commented on the matter.

The Russian Ministry of Defense issued a statement on July 21 saying that the Russian air defense forces discovered the two targets, and a MiG-29 fighter and a MiG-31 fighter on duty took off to identify the US B-52H bomber and prevent it from violating the Russian border.

US bombers land in Romania US Air Force

Finnish Air Force F/A-18C fighter jets and B-52, KC-135 take a group photo near the Gulf of Finland U.S. Air Force

According to a statement released by the U.S. Air Force, the B-52 bomber was flying in international airspace in accordance with international law over the Barents Sea when it was intercepted by two Russian aircraft at around 8 a.m. Central European Time. Despite the interception, the B-52 bomber maintained its flight path and continued its mission as planned, including with NATO.fighterConduct integration exercises before landing at Mihail Kogarniceanu Air Base in Romania.

During the flight, a KC-135 tanker from the U.S. Army's 100th Air Refueling Wing based at RAF Mildenhall refueled one of the B-52Hs.

Since these KC-135 tankers turned on their transponders, open source information showed that tankers from the US military and the Royal Air Force were suspected of refueling these B-52s in Finnish airspace. This may be the first time that the US B-52 bombers have performed missions over Finland, but the US military has not commented on the matter.

The flight path of the US bomber speculated on social media, passing over Finland and landing in Romania

The U.S. Air Force issued a statement confirming the bomber cruise after the mission ended. The U.S. military said that the regular deployment of strategic bombers by the United States strengthens the U.S. commitment to NATO allies and partners. These missions enhance the dynamic force deployment capabilities in the European theater, provide strategic guarantees for allies, and deter potential adversaries with the unpredictability of actions.

General James Heck, commander of the U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Africa, stressed the importance of providing bombing capabilities around the world. He said the bomber task force's mission provided a valuable opportunity to improve tactics, techniques and procedures. Heck also noted that the United States is committed to working with allies and partners on NATO's eastern flank to ensure regional safety, security and stability, and to provide the comprehensive skills and coordination required to provide security and stability.

The Russian Ministry of Defense issued a statement on July 21, saying that Russian airspace monitoring equipment detected an aerial target approaching the Russian border over the Barents Sea that day. A MiG-29 fighter and a MiG-31 fighter on duty by the Russian air defense force immediately took off to identify the target and prevent it from violating the Russian border. It was confirmed that the aerial target was two B-52H strategic bombers of the US Air Force.

The statement said that as the Russian fighter planes approached, the above-mentioned US military aircraft turned around and flew away from the Russian border, and no violation of the Russian border occurred. The Russian fighter planes returned to the base airport. During the flight, the Russian fighter planes strictly abided by the international rules and safety regulations regarding the use of airspace over neutral waters.

This article is an exclusive article of Observer.com and may not be reproduced without authorization.