En route to Romania, the two strategic bombers were intercepted by Russian MiG-31 and MiG-29 aircraft.

On July 21, 2024, two B-52H Stratofortress aircraft from the U.S. Air Force 2nd Bomb Wing, based at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, landed at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Force Base in Romania as part of Bomber Task Force 24-4.

The deployment was somehow disrupted by the presence of several KC-135 tanker aircraft from the 100th ARW (Air Refueling Wing) at RAF Mildenhall, which could be followed online as they supported the BUFFs (Big Ugly Fat Fellow – as the B-52 is known in the pilot community) on their way to Romania.

Three USAF tankers return from mission over Finland. Rumor has it B-52s are refueling from Barksdale. Russian MOD reports detecting two B-52 bombers over the Barents Sea.

If so, first B-52 mission over Finland? No confirmation yet.

h/t @SirListenalot @johnspectator photo.twitter.com/eIL20DCroZ

— Hans Kristensen (@nukestrat) July 21, 2024

The B-52s were escorted over the Gulf of Finland by F/A-18C Hornets of the Finnish Air Force and Eurofighters of the German Air Force.

.@FinnishAirForce flew a training mission today with two 🇺🇸 B-52 bombers.
🇫🇮 F/A-18 Hornet multirole fighters flew with the 🇺🇸bombers from Lapland to the Gulf of Finland, where the bombers continued their mission with 🇩🇪 Eurofighters involved in NATO’s BAP mission. #Stronger together photo.twitter.com/uIvAKYTHZn

— Puolustusvoimat (@Puolustusvoimat) July 21, 2024

During their flight over the Barents Sea, the B-52s, which were operating in international airspace in accordance with international law, were intercepted by two Russian aircraft at around 8:00 a.m. Central European Time. Despite the interception, the B-52s maintained their flight path and continued their mission as planned, including integration exercises with NATO fighter jets, before landing at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base.

This is a translation of the statement from the Russian Ministry of Defense:

To identify an air target and prevent violation of the state border of the Russian Federation, MiG-29 and MiG-31 fighter aircraft of the Air Defense Forces present were sent into the air.

Russian fighter jets identified the target as two U.S. Air Force B-52H strategic bombers.

As Russian fighters approached, American strategic bombers made a turn from the state border of the Russian Federation.

Russian aircraft returned safely to their home airfields and no violations of the state border of the Russian Federation were allowed.

The flight of the Russian fighter jets was carried out in strict accordance with international rules for the use of airspace over neutral waters and in compliance with safety measures.

Under the standard BTF deployment, the strategic aircraft will operate in Europe as an Expeditionary Bomb Squadron (in this case, the 20th EBS) conducting joint operations with NATO allies and other international partners to enhance capabilities and strengthen security obligations within the jurisdiction of U.S. European Command.

This is the first time that American strategic bombers have operated from Romanian soil.

General James Hecker, commander of USAFE-AFAFRICA, emphasized the importance of being positioned to deliver a range of capabilities worldwide. He said Bomber Task Force missions provide valuable opportunities to enhance the use of agile combat tactics, techniques and procedures. Hecker emphasized that these joint efforts with allies enable U.S. forces to effectively address current and future threats.

According to the U.S. Air Force, regular deployments of U.S. strategic bombers underscore America’s commitment to NATO allies and partners. These missions enhance the dynamic deployment of forces in the European theater, provide strategic certainty to allies, and deter potential adversaries with operational unpredictability.

Hecker further noted that the U.S. is committed to working with NATO allies and partners along the eastern flank to ensure the combined capabilities and coordination necessary for regional safety, security, and stability. Regular strategic bomber deployments demonstrate the readiness and integration capabilities of the U.S. and NATO to deter threats and defend the alliance.

The previous deployment, Bomber Task Force 24-3, saw four B-52H Stratofortress bombers assigned to the 69th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron from Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, deploy from RAF Fairford, UK, from 20 May to 18–20 June (the four aircraft returned home in pairs, two days apart).

David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the founder and editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and widely read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major international magazines including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwarfare. He has reported from the US, Europe, Australia and Syria, and has flown various fighter jets with several air forces. He is a former 2nd Lieutenant in the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in computer engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more.