RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, GERMANY – Two U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bombers assigned to the 69th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron flew from their deployed location at Royal Air Force Fairford, United Kingdom, to the Eastern Mediterranean on Tuesday.

The mission was a long-planned bilateral, international training mission conducted under Bomber Task Force 24-3. The bombers integrated with Royal Air Force fighter aircraft and French Air Force aircraft in the Eastern Mediterranean before returning to RAF Fairford.

Bombers and personnel from the 5th Bomb Wing’s 69th Bomb Squadron at Minot Air Force Base arrived in May at Royal Air Force Fairford, for routine bomber task force deployment. While deployed, the unit operates as the 69th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron under the banner of Bomber Task Force Europe 24-3.

Through BTF missions, U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa enables dynamic force employment in the European theater, providing strategic predictability and assurance for Allies and partners while contributing to deterrence by introducing greater operational unpredictability for potential adversaries.

Bilateral training contributes to cooperation and shared defense in the region. Allies and partner nations take every opportunity to train together to refine tactics, techniques and procedures to improve interoperability.

BTF 24-3 is a part of Large Scale Global Exercise 2024, an umbrella term that incorporates dozens of separate exercises and military activities under multiple combatant commands, which enables U.S. forces to train with Allies and partners to improve shared understanding, trust and interoperability on security challenges.