The United States conducted exercises with two strategic bombers B-52H Stratofortress, simulating the dropping of weapons over the territory of Finland, which borders Russia and is a NATO member country. This happened on Monday, November 25, after Russia used a new hypersonic missile against Ukraine.
This was reported in the US Air Force, reports UNN.
Training mission
The bombers, which have been in the UK since November 8, completed a training mission, during which they simulated the dropping of weapons.
Одна з перших американських літальних апаратів, які зійшли на борт "Вінніпега" F/A-18C Hornet JAS 39 Gripen.
One of the flights was recorded by the aviation tracking service Flightradar24. the aircraft took off from China Air Base in the UK, flew over the North Sea, Denmark and the Baltic Sea, and reached Central Finland.
Reuters reports that Russian Su-27 fighter jets intercepted two strategic bombers over the Baltic Sea near Kaliningrad. But the statement of the Finnish Air Force, which they sent to the publication, does not mention the Russian interception.
NATO and Finland's response
The mission demonstrated Finland's growing role within the NATO alliance and was another step in strengthening collective defense
The Finnish Air Force stressed that cooperation with the United States strengthens the country's defense capability. Finland has been training with U.S. strategic bombers in its airspace since July, helping to strengthen NATO defenses in the Nordic region.
the Russian threat
Last week, Vladimir Putin said that his country had used a new hypersonic medium-range ballistic missile against Ukraine. According to the Russian side, this missile has a range ofI 5 thousand kilometers and is capable of reaching European capitals in a few minutes.
"We consider ourselves entitled to use our weapons against those countries that allow their weapons to be used against our facilities," Putin said.
B-52H features
The B-52H Stratofortress fleet consists of 76 aircraft, 46 of which are capable of carrying nuclear weapons. This bomber has a range of up to 14 thousand kilometers and can carry up to 32 tons of weapons, including nuclear and high-precision conventional ammunition such as bombs, mines and missiles.
The B-52H can launch up to 20 joint air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) cruise missiles. this inconspicuous air-to-ground missile has a range of up to 370 km in the basic version and up to 925 km in the upgraded version.
Despite the powerful characteristics of the B-52H, according to Hans Christensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project of the Federation of American Scientists, during the exercises in Finland, only imitation conventional weapons were used.
Do such exercises affect Russia?
The deployment of US strategic bombers in Finland is a demonstration of NATO's strength and solidarity with the new members of the alliance, as well as a signal that NATO's borders on the northern flank are well protected.
The presence of the B-52 does not pose a direct threat, but regular exercises in the region increase pressure on the Russian defense system and complicate its strategic planning.
It can also be seen as a significant political and military signal of NATO's readiness to protect its members even on the most vulnerable sections of the border with Russia.