B-52 Stratofortress to pass over Oslo
On Friday, Norwegian F-35s will escort American B-52 Stratofortress in the airspace over Eastern Norway. The aircraft will fly at low altitude over Akershus Fortress in Oslo at 12:00 noon. The flight is part of normal, planned training activities.
The USA regularly sends its Bomber Task Force (BTF) to the Nordic countries to become better acquainted with its allies in the north. The training is important to make the Norwegian Armed Forces better able to cooperate with American bombers and demonstrates our joint ability for credible and effective defence.
“We are excited to take part in the low pass over Oslo during Bomber Task Force 25-2,” said Col. David Herndon, USAFE-AFAFRICA senior spokesman.
“These missions strengthen readiness and demonstrate the ability to rapidly project decisive combat capabilities. Training alongside Norway highlights our strong bi-lateral relationship and the utility of seamless cooperation during BTF operations.” Herndon said.
Important signal
"USA is our largest and most important ally, and it is important that they come here and train with us. The fact that the Americans come to Norway to train with the Norwegian Armed Forces, is an important signal of American commitment to European and Norwegian security," says Norwegian Minister of Defence, Tore O. Sandvik.
The Norwegian Air Force regularly trains with allies and partners to secure NATO's airspace. Cooperation with the USA is unique and provides high training value. The Bomber Task Force cooperation was established in 2018, and several operations have been carried out in recent years with the USA and other allies.
Will be visible in Oslo
The aircraft will be highly visible throughout the city, especially in Oslo centre. Photos and recordings will be made available in the Norwegian Armed Forces' media archive.
"The missions contribute to the joint development of the BTF concept. It provides valuable training and enables us to jointly carry out complex operations quickly and efficiently," says Colonel Michael Baas Bottenvik-Hartmann, deputy commander at the national air operations centre/JAOC.
Bomber Task Force is a well-established arena for cooperation between American and Norwegian forces and has been carried out several times annually in recent years. The USA conducts these types of flights together with other European countries. When this has been done in our vicinity, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark have also participated.
Timings are subject to changes.