Photo:
Strategic bomber B-52 U.S. air force © Staff Sgt. Corey Hook/U.S. Air Force via AP
USAF stationed in the UK strategic B-52 bombers and 800 military pilots in support of a series of planned military exercises that NATO countries will hold in this month. Maneuvers are planned including the Baltic sea, in the Arctic and on the territory of several countries bordering Russia. This was reported by broadcaster CNN.
“Training with allies and partners improve the overall coordination between them and allow the U.S. air force to build long-term cooperation needed to counter a wide range of global challenges”, – quotes the broadcaster’s statement the U.S. air force.
NATO exercise Baltops-2017 began with the port phase in the Polish Szczecin with the participation of about 40 ships from 14 countries of the Alliance. Baltops are conducted in the Baltic sea since 1972. Initially, these maneuvers were attended only part of at that time in NATO countries. Since 1993, joined by the States of the former Eastern bloc, including Poland.
3-15 June in Latvia will be held NATO exercises Saber Strike 2017 (“the sabre – 2017”) with the participation of over 2 thousand soldiers of the countries participating in the Alliance. During the maneuvers will be improved, cooperation between the armed forces of participating countries, the readiness and combat capabilities, and the ability of the allies to react quickly and to move power.
The Alliance may 31, started the teachings of the “Noble hop” (Noble Jump – NOJP17) on the territory of Bulgaria, Greece and Romania. The purpose of the title demonstrate the ability of NATO forces to carry out placement in a potential crisis area in the shortest possible time. In the maneuvers involved Albania, Bulgaria, UK, Greece, Spain, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania and the United States. Of the approximately 4 thousand personnel about 1.9 thousand represent ground units of the rapid reaction Force.
At the end of may the teachings of the Arctic Challenge Exercise (ACE) with the participation of ten European countries and also the USA and Canada began in Finnish Lapland. The maneuvers headquarters are located in Rovaniemi in Finland, Bodø in Norway and luleå in Sweden, it is planned to involve more than 100 aircraft and helicopters: fighters, tanker aircraft, rescue helicopters and aircraft radars with the NATO system AWACS system (airborne warning and control), as well as American B-52.