B‑52 bombers intercepted by Russia, land in Romania for first time
Two American B-52H Stratofortress bombers arrived at the Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base in Romania. Interestingly, they were intercepted by Russian fighters in international airspace. However, as reported by the U.S. Air Force command, this did not alter the mission objectives in which the B-52H Stratofortress is participating.
Romanian media and their air force noted that the B-52H Stratofortress arrived in the country for the first time. They flew over the Black Sea as part of the Bomber Task Force 24-4 mission. This serves as another indication of NATO's strengthening of its eastern flank.
"NATO’s Eastern Flank is looking strong on this historic day. For the first time ever, B-52 Stratofortress bombers from Barksdale Air Force Base landed in Romania in support of #BomberTaskForceEurope," 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, which is capable of carrying over 29,937 kilograms of various types of armament. This includes conventional weapons (bombs, mines, missiles, cruise missiles) as well as nuclear weapons. This American giant measures 48.46 metres in length and nearly 56.39 metres in wingspan. Its impressive range reaches 16,324 kilometres.
The first variant of this bomber was developed in the 1960s. The Americans do not intend to abandon it. They plan further modernizations.
The route of the B-52H Stratofortress heading 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. Additionally, as assured in an official statement issued by the Alliance, the B-52H Stratofortress was in international airspace over the Barents Sea.
"Two B-52H Stratofortress arrived at the Mihail Cogalniceanu airbase on 21 July as part of the Bomber Task Force 24-4 drills, the US European Command said. This is the first time that US strategic bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons have operated in Romania, according to Ukrainian media," the statement reads.
