Bombardeierele B-2 ale Forțelor Aeriene SUA și avioanele F-35 britanice au efectuat o misiune „invizibilă” deasupra Mării Nordului.

B-2 Bombers from the US Air Force teamed up with F-35 Lightning II aircraft from the Royal Air Force of Great Britain to fly over the North Sea in Europe as part of a one-day exercise.

During the Bomber Task Force mission, American and British aircraft joined forces. A KC-135 Stratotanker from the 100th Air Refueling Wing at RAF Mildenhall in the UK provided air refueling for the mission. Following the mission, one of the B-2s returned to Whiteman on the same day, while another landed at RAF Fairford, as reported by airandspaceforces.com.

„Strategic bomber missions are aimed at deterring conflicts, showcasing our rapid response capability, and strengthening our commitment to the UK and NATO,” said General James Hecker, commander of US Air Forces in Europe, in a statement. „Operating alongside RAF’s fifth-generation fighter aircraft enhances our strength through joint training.”

US Air Force Bomber Task Force deployments are part of long-term planned exercises, independent of current global events.

The most recent European BTF before the B-2 mission took place last month, when American B-1B Lancers deployed to RAF Fairford in the UK. From there, they conducted multiple flights over Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. The B-1s returned to Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, at the end of November.

USAF and RAF also participated in a biennial trilateral exercise with France, called „Atlantic Trident,” in November. In the 2023 RAF-hosted iteration, scenarios were designed to enhance aircrew readiness with fourth and fifth-generation aircraft.

The B-2 Spirit, a long-range nuclear and conventional attack bomber operational since the 1990s, will eventually make way for the B-21 Raider, which will also replace the B-1.

The Air Force is working on acquiring at least 100 Raiders in the next decade, which would bring its bomber fleet to 175 aircraft, including 75 upgraded and modernized B-52 Stratofortress.

BTF missions prepare aviators to conduct global operations at any given time in many regions of the world. By advancing interoperability and integrating allied fifth-generation aircraft, this latest mission aimed to strengthen a coordinated response to potential threats through NATO integration.