Tensions are high over Estonia. An American B-52H Stratofortress bomber, a British Royal Air Force military plane and a NATO spy plane have been flying over the skies of Estonia not far from the border with Russia for hours. The mission, which was not announced in advance, may be a joint exercise or monitoring activity. Of course, traveling with a transponder turned on and accessible from any tracking system, is a precautionary operation against Moscow.
Russian hybrid warfare
And Russia? There was no formal response to the actions of NATO Allies, but by analyzing maps of jamming and spoofing activity, the deliberate interference with aviation GPS that has regularly disrupted commercial and military air routes in the Baltic region since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, it is easy to see how hybrid “attacks” have increased exponentially in the same time. Then about what? It is possible that a series of skirmishes and provocations and tests of strength on both sides were underway.
Mission
The presence of B-52H Stratofortresses in Europe represents the United States’ desire to demonstrate its power in Europe, noting tensions in the Baltic Sea and Russian threats on NATO’s Eastern flank as well as recent drone sightings in Belgium and Germany. Three US Air Force B-52H Stratofortress bombers arrived Sunday evening at Morón air base in southern Spain. Fighter planes belonging to the 2nd Bomb Wing stationed at Barksdale base in Louisiana, crossed the Atlantic marking the start of a new Bomber Task Force (BTF) deployment in Europe. The presence of these bombers complements the ongoing mission of European Bomber Task Force 26-1. The United States Air Force describes these periodic deployments as an opportunity to increase operational readiness, strengthen coordination with NATO allies and demonstrate the flexibility of US global strike capabilities. The strategic location of Morón air base, several hours’ flight from most of the European and Mediterranean theaters, makes it an ideal center for this type of mission. From there, the bombers could operate towards northern Europe, the Baltic region or the eastern Mediterranean, supporting joint deterrence and training objectives within the Atlantic Alliance.
reconnaissance Wednesday
A bomber carried out a long training and deterrence mission in northern and eastern Europe on Wednesday. Taking off from Morón air base in southern Spain, the strategic aircraft refueled in the air east of England, then continued across the North Sea, Denmark and Germany. After entering Baltic airspace, the aircraft was escorted by NATO fighters, while Atlantic Alliance AWACS and British Combined Rivet RC-135Ws operated in the same area. The B-52 orbited for a long time between Estonia and Latvia, flying less than 50 kilometers from the Russian border and several tens of kilometers from St. Petersburg. Petersburg, before heading back southwest.
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