B1 Bombers Temporarily Deploying To Trondheim, Norway As Focus On Poss. Arctic Conflict Grows
COLOGNE, Germany — The U.S. Air Force is temporarily deploying 200 personnel with an expeditionary B-1 Lancer squadron to Norway to help manage bomber training flights in the region, U.S. European Command announced Tuesday.
The service members, hailing from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, will set up shop at Orland Air Base near Trondheim, a hub for Norway’s F-35 fighter jet fleet. The force represents “the advance team for scheduled missions in the coming weeks, which will occur for a limited time,” EUCOM’s statement read.
The move comes as the American military sharpens its focus on the Arctic region. NATO member Norway, at its northeasternmost tip, shares a border with Russia, and Moscow’s military modernization on the Kola Peninsula has helped position the area as a would-be flashpoint.
“Operational readiness and our ability to support allies and partners and respond with speed is critical to combined success,” Gen. Jeff Harrigian, the commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Africa, was quoted as saying in the statement. “We value the enduring partnership we have with Norway and look forward to future opportunities to bolster our collective defense.”
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https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2021/02/02/us-air-force-bomber-unit-sets-up-shop-in-norway/