The U.S. Air Force is preparing to deploy bombers to Norway for the first time. A detachment of B-1Bs, accompanied by more than 200 personnel, is set to arrive at the country’s Ørland Main Air Station in the near future as the U.S. military intensifies its focus on the strategically important Arctic region. U.S. European Command (EUCOM) announced today that an advance team was about to head to Ørland ahead of B-1Bs touching down, but did not say specifically when the bombers would arrive. There are reports that the aircraft could make their way across the Atlantic later this week, while the first airmen have already arrived in the country. The aircraft and airmen assigned to this Bomber Task Force (BTF) will all come from the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess Air Force Base in Texas.
“Operational readiness and our ability to support allies and partners and respond with speed are critical to combined success,” Air Force General Jeff Harrigian, commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Africa, said in a statement. “We value the enduring partnership we have with Norway and look forward to future opportunities to bolster our collective defense.”
The BTF is also of note in relation to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. According to EUCOM, the deployment is “in keeping with force health protection measures aligned with the Department of Defense, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Norwegian policy.”
