Two B-1B strategic bombers have landed in Sweden for the primary time in historical past on Monday.
Flying as SPICY 11 and SPICY 12 two B-1B Lancer bombers belonging to the seventh Bomb Wing, from Dyess Air Pressure Base, Texas, and deployed to RAF Fairford, for Bomber Task Force 23-3, landed at Luleå-Kallax airport, in Sweden.
The 2 plane, serial 86-0105 and 86-0103 had been the primary two B-1s to ever land in Sweden and, according to the U.S. Air Force, this was additionally the very first time a U.S. bomber landed within the nordics state [despite the official release that says it was the first ever landing, it looks like in WWII a certain number of American bombers landed there…].
“U.S. Forces have performed workouts and coaching within the Arctic area, however the touchdown fortifies not solely the friendship between the U.S. and Sweden, however the collective protection of Europe,” says a USAF public launch.
Throughout a Key Chief Occasion, U.S. Air Pressure Brig. Gen Bryony Terrell, U.S. European Command deputy director for strategic plans and coverage famous, “The U.S. and Sweden have a protracted historical past collectively, in workouts and coaching, bilateral and multilateral safety cooperation, and operations, of which as we speak is one key instance.”
This arrival of strategic bombers in Sweden highlights U.S. and Swedish cooperation and the power of U.S. Forces to seamlessly combine with allied and accomplice nations.
“The extra we are able to combine forces and gear to maneuver throughout Europe, the extra prepared we’re to face safety challenges, now and sooner or later,” stated Brig. Gen. Terrell.
Coaching with joint Companions and Allied nations forges the enduring and strategic relationships essential to confront a broad vary of world challenges.
Swedish welcome
“It is a historic occasion” stated Swedish Deputy Air Pressure Chief Brigadier Common Tommy Petersson. “In these troubled occasions and whereas ready for NATO membership, it is very important have robust companions. We’ve repeated co-exercises with the Bomber Job Pressure the place we practiced all the chain, from escort and liaison to sharp weapons motion and now we’re taking the subsequent step in our cooperation by basing the B-1B Lancer on Swedish soil,” he stated.
The 2 B-1Bs had been escorted by three JAS 39 Gripen jets of the Swedish Air Pressure on their strategy to Luleå-Kallax airport.
Departure video
Our buddy @Saint1Mil was on the British base in Gloucestershire, England, when the 2 bombers launched. He took the video you may see beneath, noting that this was additionally the primary time on this deployment RWY 27 was used: up so far, all take-offs and landings had been on RWY 09 at RAF Fairford.
David Cenciotti is a journalist based mostly in Rome, Italy. He’s the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of many world’s most well-known and skim army aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for main worldwide magazines, together with Air Forces Month-to-month, Fight Plane, and plenty of others, overlaying aviation, protection, conflict, trade, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown a number of fight planes with totally different air forces. He’s a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Pressure, a non-public pilot and a graduate in Laptop Engineering. He has written 5 books and contributed to many extra ones.
