NATO's eastern flank reinforced with the arrival of B‑52 bombers
Two American B-52H Stratofortress bombers arrived at Mihail Kogelniceanu Air Base in Romania. Interestingly, they were intercepted by Russian fighters in international airspace. However, as the U.S. Air Force command reported, this did not alter the mission objectives in which the B-52H Stratofortresses are participating.
3:01 PM EDT, July 22, 2024
Romanian media and their air force noted that the B-52H Stratofortress arrived in the country for the first time in history. They flew over the Black Sea as part of the Bomber Task Force 24-4 mission, serving as another indication of NATO's strengthening eastern flank.
"On this historic day, NATO's eastern flank is stronger! For the first time, B-52 Stratofortress bombers from Barksdale Air Force Base landed in Romania to support Bomber Task Force (BTF) Europe," the Romanian Air Force highlighted in a Facebook statement.
B-52H Stratofortress on the eastern flank of NATO
The B-52H Stratofortress is a strategic bomber developed by Boeing. It is capable of carrying over 66,000 pounds of various types of armament, including conventional weapons (bombs, mines, missiles, cruise missiles) and nuclear weapons. This American giant measures 159 feet in length and nearly 185 feet in wingspan, and its impressive range reaches 10,141 miles.
The first variant of this bomber was developed in the 1960s. Despite this, the Americans do not intend to abandon it. Instead, they plan further modernizations.
The route of the B-52H Stratofortresses headed for Romania included regions over northern Finland. It was there that Russian fighters intercepted American bombers. However, the Kremlin knew little about NATO's plans. According to an official statement issued by the Alliance, the B-52H Stratofortresses were in international airspace over the Barents Sea.
"The American planes did not change course as a result of the interception and continued their flight according to their plan and without any incidents, allowing the B-52 to carry out their planned mission of integrating with NATO fighters before landing at Mihail Kogelniceanu Air Base," the statement said.
