US to deploy B-1 bombers to Norway for the first time: 'Bolster collective defense'

In a bid to defend allies against any Russian aggression close to the country’s border the US Air Force is deploying B-1 bombers to Norway for the first time. According to CNN, the US military will operate in the strategically important Arctic region. As per the officials, four US Air Force B-1 bombers and approximately 200 personnel from Dyess Air Force in Texas are being deployed to Orland Air Base in Norway, and within the next three weeks, missions will also begin in the Arctic Circle. The move becomes important for US as bombers are now much closer to Russian bases. 

The movement of forces much closer to Moscow means that the United States will be able to react more quickly to potential Russian aggression. Gen. Jeff Harrigian, commander of US Air Forces in Europe and Africa, said that “operational readiness” and US’ ability to support allies and partners and respond with speed is critical to combined success. It is worth noting that previously the Pentagon has operated similar groups of B-52 bombers in the Middle East as means of demonstrating ability of the US. Theses bombers missions take weeks to plan so the latest Norway deployment has been the works sometimes, the officials say. 

“Operational readiness and our ability to support allies and partners and respond with speed are critical to combined success,” Air Force General Jeff Harrigian, commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Africa, said in a statement.

 “We value the enduring partnership we have with Norway and look forward to future opportunities to bolster our collective defense.”

“The Arctic is among the most strategically significant regions of the world today — the keystone from which the U.S. Air and Space Forces exercise vigilance,” said Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett.

“This Arctic Strategy recognizes the immense geostrategic consequence of the region and its critical role for protecting the homeland and projecting global power.”

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US ‘deeply concerned’ about Russian moves 

The newly minted President Joe Biden has already demonstrated that he is prepared to adopt a tougher approach to Moscow than under his predecessor Donald Trump. The defence department, on the other hand, has been deeply concerned about Russian military moves to shut off potential access to the Arctic for natural resources and maritime access as it continues to militarise the Arctic region. The secretary of the Air Force during the Trump administration had earlier even warned that the recent Russian investments in the Arctic include a network of offensive air assets and coastal missile systems. 

Amid the rising tensions, the US has also assessed that Russia considers maintaining its own Arctic access increasingly vital with almost 25 per cent of its gross domestic product coming from hydrocarbons north of the Arctic Circle. Its is worth noting that a Russian fighter jet fuel low near the USS Donald Cook, a naval destroyer, in the international waters of the Black Sea last month. The US Navy, on the other hand, routinely sails in those waters to send the message that it will maintain maritime access in the region. 

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