US Air Force B-52H Stratofortress bombers recently concluded a month-long deployment to the United Kingdom as part of Bomber Task Force Europe.
The bombers, part of the 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, left their forward deployed base at Royal Air Force Fairford and returned to Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota on 21 September. They were the second Task Force of B-52s to visit Europe in 2022, following an earlier deployment that ended in April. During this stint, the bombers integrated with NATO Allies and partner countries, both in the sky and on the ground. From being escorted by F-35 Lighting II fighters from the Royal Norwegian Air Force to flying training missions with Balkan Allies across Albania, Croatia, Montenegro and North Macedonia, the B-52s have had access to strategic international territories thanks to the relationships with NATO Allies and partners.

Bomber Task Force Europe is a standing mission intended to help US Air Force pilots and crews familiarise themselves with European airspace and Allies. Flying from Fairford but conducting missions all over the continent, the B-52s are able to fly long-endurance missions and carry a wide spectrum of precision ordnance, both conventional and strategic, making them a powerful long-range deterrent.

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