US deploys bombers to NATO air power drills

The United States sent its strategic bombers to Europe's High North region for an exercise with two NATO allies on Tuesday, which involved the drop of live weapons on targets.

The Norway-led air power exercise also saw the participation of forces from the United Kingdom. It was a "find, fix, track, and target" (F2T2) drill that aimed to bolster Arctic defense and enhance NATO interoperability, the U.S. Air Force said on Wednesday.

F2T2 refers to a military targeting method used to identify, engage, and neutralize targets in combat operations. It is commonly associated with ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance), as well as precision-strike missions, the U.S. Air Force added.

U.S. military aircraft that took part in the drill included B-52 Stratofortress bombers, F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jets, a U-2 Dragon Lady spy plane, and KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft. Four B-52 bombers were deployed to England since November 8.

The drill in the High North, commonly known as the Arctic region, came after two B-52 bombers simulated the release of weapons over Finland, another NATO member in the region, on November 25, following Russia's launch of a hypersonic missile on Ukraine. Newsweek has reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow for comment by email.

NATO, which is a U.S.-led trans-Atlantic alliance, views the High North as a critical focal point in safeguarding collective defense, as well as addressing emerging challenges in the region, including increased economic and military activities between Russia and China.

"The Arctic is a critical region for our collective security and global stability," General James Hecker, the U.S. Air Force commander in Europe and Africa, said on Wednesday.

Training with allies in this environment demonstrated the commitment to defending the northern flank of NATO and adapting to emerging threats, Hecker added. The northern flank is a maritime and littoral theater of NATO, where Russia deploys its most potent capabilities next to it.

During the exercise in Norway, allied aircraft and ground forces conducted live weapon drops on simulated enemy positions. It was not clear what types of weapons were used.

British and Norwegian F-35 stealth fighter jets also participated in the drill, working with their American counterparts for the integration of data-sharing capabilities. This enabled them to exchange information in real time and create a unified view of the airspace.

Photos released by the U.S. Air Force showed a B-52 bomber, which is assigned to the 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron during its Bomber Task Force deployment at Royal Air Force Fairford air base in England, flew above Bergen on the southwestern coast of Norway on Tuesday.

The bomber has an unrefueled combat range of over 8,800 miles and a payload of 70,000 pounds of ordnance, including bombs, mines, and missiles. There are 76 B-52 bombers in service, of which 46 aircraft are capable of launching nuclear-armed cruise missiles.

Data captured by the aircraft tracking service Flightradar24 showed a British RC-135W Rivet Joint spy plane flew off the western coast of Norway on Tuesday, which the U.S. Air Force has confirmed the aircraft's participation in the trilateral exercise.