American bombers in Europe to deter Russia

US Air Force B 52 Stratofortress bombers have arrived at Morón Air Base in Spain to begin a new round of multinational training under Bomber Task Force Europe 26 1.

The deployment is intended to support deterrence and defence operations across NATO’s Eastern Flank and the High North.

According to the organisation, the aircraft will fly missions with Allied and partner air forces including Finland, Lithuania and Sweden. Operating from Spain places the bombers within reach of NATO’s northern and eastern regions, where the Alliance continues to emphasise readiness and rapid coordination.

The flights will link into NATO’s recently established Combined Air Operations Centre in Bodø, Norway, which became operational in October. This new command node joins existing air operations centres in Uedem in Germany and Torrejón in Spain, expanding the Alliance’s command and control network across Europe.

Training will focus on sharpening the find, fix, track and target cycle, with aircrews practising against simulated ground and air threats. According to the organisation, these scenarios are designed to deny bomber freedom of manoeuvre and force crews to respond decisively to regain air superiority.

The deployment is part of the continuing Bomber Task Force rotation model, which the U.S. Air Force says allows the U.S. to demonstrate long-range strike integration with European partners. The activities are a defensive posture intended to maintain a credible deterrent presence across the Mediterranean, Eastern Flank and Arctic regions.