Two B-52 Stratofortresses flew through Finnish airspace for the first time ever over the weekend, before landing in Romania to start the first ever operational deployment of the aircraft from that country.
The strategic bombers, from Barksdale Air Force Base, La., flew across Norway before flying over Lapland, Finland’s northernmost region that borders Russia, Sweden, and Norway. Russia, which shares more than 800 miles of border with Finland, took note. […]
The U.S. will soon preposition aircraft and vessels in Finland following the signing of a bilateral Defense Cooperation Agreement between Häkkänen and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in December. While specific details regarding the types of U.S. assets to be stationed in Finland have not been disclosed, Washington is expected to deploy its assets and forces across various designated military facilities in Finland for future training and exercises, as outlined in the agreement.
The presence of the B-52s in Finnish airspace and in Romania comes in the wake of NATO announcing plans to bolster defense and cooperation for its Eastern Flank region.
An initiative outlined in the Washington Summit Declaration includes plans to establish a NATO presence in Finland, and fully integrate the nation into NATO plans, forces, and command structures to leverage their capabilities. Läs artikel