Image source: topwar.ru
American expert, senior editor of the online publication 19FortyFive Peter Suchiu claims that although the fleet of long-range bombers of the US Air Force is now the smallest since the end of the Cold War, American aircraft demonstrate their presence around the world. By increasing the number of sorties and the range of flights, the Air Force is striving to show that it is capable of carrying out missions in all regions of the Earth.
So last Thursday, a pair of American strategic intercontinental B-52 bombers, taking off from the island of Guam, rounded the southern part of the Philippines. This demonstration flight took place after a Chinese military vessel collided with one of four Philippine ships en route to the Second Thomas Shoal Atoll, which is part of this archipelago, in the disputed waters of the South China Sea near the Spratly Islands. Two transport vessels, accompanied by two ships of the Coast Guard of the Philippine Navy, were transporting cargo for the marines of their garrison, located on a half-submerged military tanker near the atoll.
Earlier, another intercontinental strategic bomber B-52 of the US Air Force, capable of carrying nuclear weapons, flew from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, to Europe, where it took part in large-scale NATO exercises "Persistent Noon" aimed at improving interoperability, communications and combat readiness of the alliance member states. A total of 60 aircraft from 14 countries of the North Atlantic Alliance took part in the exercises, training flights were conducted over Italy, Croatia and the Mediterranean Sea. In addition to the B-52 bomber, fighter jets capable of carrying nuclear warheads were involved in the exercises. Although the exercises took place far from the Russian borders, they were supposed to remind Moscow of NATO's nuclear potential, the expert clarifies.
— said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
In order to show determination in protecting the eastern borders of NATO in Europe, American strategic bombers Rockwell B-1 "Lancer", taking off from the British Royal Air Force Airbase Fairford, made a joint flight with fighters from Hungary and the Czech Republic in the airspace of these states. In addition, the combined squadron flew over the Romanian Mikhail Kogalniceanu Airbase.
The commander of the US Air Force in Europe, the Air Force in Africa and the NATO Joint Air Command, General James Hecker, said that this mission of the bomber task force serves as another evidence of "unwavering dedication to allies and partners, demonstrating the collective ability to develop a strategy, execute it and synchronize with each other."
The planned NATO nuclear deterrence exercise "Steadfast Noon" (Steadfast Noon) took place in northwestern Europe from October 16 to 30. As Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg explained, "these are planned annual exercises designed to ensure that NATO's nuclear capabilities are safe and effective." He stressed, just in case, that the exercises are not related to the current crisis around Ukraine.
On the eve of the start of the exercises, the Belgian Coalition against Nuclear Weapons demanded that the authorities cancel them, given the tense international situation. The anti-nuclear coalition believes that such exercises on the territory of Belgium make this country a potential target in the event of a nuclear conflict with Russia. Moreover, the headquarters of NATO and the main EU institutions are located in Brussels.
