After having departed the Continental United States (CONUS), the DY-coded Texas-based supersonic bombers 86-0103 The reluctant Dragon and 86-0105 The 8th Chadwick from Dyess Air Force Base’s 7th Bomb Wing, entered the European theatre and integrating first with Allies and Partners conducting NATO’s Air Policing and Air Shielding missions throughout the Baltic Sea region.

 

The highly agile aircraft’s twelve-hour mission from North America to Europe demonstrated Air Force Global Strike Command's rapid ability to deploy anywhere at any given time. While operating over the Baltic Sea, the B-1Bs were being Intercepted by a Russian Sukhoi Su-27 multirole fighter aircraft.

 

BTF rotations support US National Defense Strategy objectives through “strategic predictability” and “operational unpredictability,” and the steady rotation of strategic bombers into the European theater enables interoperability and enhances operational readiness.

 

Making up the 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, it is expected that his BTF iteration will include four B-1B strategic bombers. The remaining two bombers are scheduled to arrive at RAF Fairford on Thursday 25 May in the afternoon.