The B-1B Lancer strategic bombers deployed by the US Air Force (Air Force) in Norway are likely targeting Russia, The Drive says.
The American edition notes that the base where these aircraft were located provides quick access for bombers to the Norwegian and Barents Seas, as well as the Arctic. The Drive notes that the B-1B Lancer could pose a “new challenge” for operations by the Russian Navy, which has bases in the region.
“Ships and submarines of the Russian Navy usually pass through the Barents Sea, and then the Norwegian Sea, heading to Greenland, Iceland, Great Britain (Faro-Icelandic border – approx.” Lenta.ru “ ) and the North Atlantic Ocean beyond them”, – writes edition.
The Drive recalls that the B-1B Lancer can be armed with AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) anti-ship missiles. The publication notes that in 2020, the US Air Force conducted exercises in the Black Sea region, which “were almost certainly aimed at Russia and, in particular, its Black Sea Fleet.”
In February, The Drive wrote that it is not at all difficult to imagine a future conflict in which the B-1B Lancer and B-52 Stratofortress groups of the US Air Force will be tasked with hitting the same common sets of targets over a wide area.
In January, Air Force Magazine, citing a statement from the United States Air Force Command in Europe and Africa, reported that the United States Air Force, in conjunction with NATO partners, conducted a “target designation in all areas” in the Black Sea region.
