A U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress bomber is stationed at Royal Air Force Fairford airfield in Fairford, England. It is part of a Bomber Task Force that flies missions in Europe. REUTERS
REUTERS
In a show of unity, U.S. and British commanders said March 11 that joint military exercises are vital for providing Europe with a deterrent to Russia. Air Marshal Johnny Stringer, the British officer serving as NATO’s deputy air commander, and U.S. Eighth Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Jason Armagost joined forces to praise the Bomber Task Force, which had completed nine missions in Europe since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022.
“What I think what you are seeing here is testament to 75 years of the world’s most successful alliance,” Stringer said in front of a U.S. B-52H bomber at an airfield in southwestern England, where most of the missions had started.
“Like all alliances and all relationships over time, they have their kind of their ups and their downs, but I think a NATO that … is practicing complex but essential deterrence missions across Europe kind of tells its story here on how serious and resolute we are as an alliance.”
“We plan together, we fly together, we integrate,” Armagost said. “The speed with which we can come together and plan and demonstrate capability I think is a very strong thing regardless of the geopolitics … the strength of that routine operation speaks for itself.”
Stringer said there was “a standing plan” to keep missions going in what he described as “vital messaging” to Russian President Vladimir Putin. “And as I said they are essential for our own training and to make sure we are, heaven forbid, ready to go (to war) if necessary.”