These flights of strategic bombers assure allies and partners while deterring near-peer competitors.
Air Force B-1 bombers have gone to India and Norway as part of the service’s massively stepped-up Bomber Task Force (BTF) global operations, intended to further solidify international partnerships, interoperability and conduct high-impact deterrence missions intended to reassure U.S. allies amid ongoing threats posed by Russia and China.
Bomber Task Forces, a longstanding U.S. Air Force practice, are expanding in size, scope and frequency, often extending to less visited parts of the globe such as the Arctic and parts of Western Asia. These Task Forces often include B-1s, B-52 and B-2 to demonstrate force and resolve, particularly in high-threat contested areas such as the South China Sea area parts of Eastern Europe.