Deployment of strategic bombers of the Air Force (Air Force) The United States in Norway is a response to Russia's strengthening in the Arctic, Hans Christensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project of the Federation of American Scientists, said in an interview with Nettavisen. The translation of the publication of the Norwegian edition leads "InoSMI".
According to the expert, on the one hand, Norway "is interested in making it clear to Russia that we have a strong alliance with the United States, sending it deterrent signals for the sake of maintaining the balance of power in the region."
"On the other hand, no one wants to unnecessarily aggravate an already tense situation. But the US is hard to refuse. You have to pay for an alliance with the Americans. This is the dilemma facing our small state between two superpowers, " the expert said.
Christensen noted that "during the Cold War in the 1980s, according to the Norwegian armed forces, from 500 to 600 Soviet aircraft were spotted in the airspace near the borders of our country every year." "After the collapse of the Soviet Union, this figure decreased dramatically. In 1999 and 2000, from three to five aircraft were registered per year, and in the 2000s there were 10-15 of them. In the last three years, on average, we have detected 93 aircraft annually, " the expert said.
In February, The Drive reported that the US Air Force will send B-1B Lancer strategic bombers to Norway for the first time "with an eye on the nearest Russia and the Arctic."
In the same month, the publication wrote that it is not difficult to imagine a future conflict in which groups of B-1B Lancer and B-52 Stratofortress strategic bombers of the US Air Force will be tasked with hitting the same common sets of targets over a vast territory.
Ivan Potapov
