Two B-1B Lancers flew directly over the North Pole to Greenland, part of a two-week training mission, the U.S. Air Force announced on Wednesday.
The bombers, from the 345th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, which headquartered at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, conducted interoperability training exercises with the Norwegian Air Force on Sept. 25, part of a mission that began on Sept. 10.
Operating from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, the 16-hour, 6,100-nautical-mile trip involved air refueling support above the Arctic Circle, and a day of training with Norwegian forces over the Norwegian Sea and off the Greenland coast.
The training comes as the Arctic Ocean region has become a strategic hot spot for potential conflict, military officials have said repeatedly. The United States' 2018 National Defense Strategy reoriented the military's focus from the Middle East to near-peer concerns in Asia and Europe.
"Our corporate knowledge of Arctic operations in theB-1 is not as robust as it is for other regions of the world, and we fully intend to share our insights with the rest of the B-1 enterprise upon our return," Lt. Col. Andrew Marshall, 345th EBS operations director, said in a statement on Wednesday. "The knowledge and experience we have gained can and will be leveraged for immediate and lasting effect in this community."
Norway, a NATO member, has increased its air capabilities and its air force will have a fleet of 52 F-35 fighter planes by 2025.
In May 2020, two U.S. B-1B Lancers of the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., conducted a long-range Bomber Task Force mission to the Nordic region. The bombers visited Norwegian airspace, and integrated and trained with four Norwegian F-35s.
Related Links
Beyond the Ice Age
| Thanks for being there; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution. |
||
| SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5+ Billed Monthly |
 |
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal |
-69.6 Celsius: New Arctic cold record from 1991 found
Copenhagen (AFP) Sept 23, 2020
A new cold record in the Northern Hemisphere of -69.6 Celsius (-93.2 Fahrenheit) was set on December 22, 1991, in Greenland, the Danish Meteorological Institute announced Wednesday, 28 years after the fact. The temperature, recorded at a weather station outside of the usual network, was exhumed by "climate detectives" who later had it confirmed by the World Meteorological Organisation. "The record was registered at an altitude of 3,105 metres, near the topographical summit of the icecap, at an ... read more
from Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense https://ift.tt/3cSmRII
via space News
No comments: