The United States sent two bombers to simulate the release of weapons over NATO ally Finland on Monday after Russia used a new hypersonic missile on Ukraine.
The B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombers, which have been deployed in the United Kingdom since November 8, conducted a training mission to simulate a "weapons drop," the U.S. Air Force said on Tuesday. Finland is one of the newest NATO member states and borders Russia.
Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that his country had used a new hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile on Ukraine. The conventionally armed missile, which has a reported range of 3,100 miles, is claimed to be able to reach European capitals within minutes.
At least one of the bombers' flights was captured by Flightradar24, an aircraft tracking service. It departed from Fairford air base in England and flew northeast as it transited over the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea before reaching central Finland.
The American bombers integrated with Finnish F/A-18C Hornet and Swedish JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets during the training mission.
"The mission showcased Finland's growing role within the NATO Alliance and marked another milestone in strengthening NATO's collective defense," the U.S. Air Force said.
The bilateral cooperation with the U.S. strengthened the defense capability of Finland, said the Finnish Air Force. It has trained with American strategic bombers in the country's airspace since July, which contributed to NATO's collective defense and deterrence in the High North.
It was not clear what types of weapons were simulated for release in the training mission over Finland. Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists, identified the bombers involved in the mission as being equipped to carry conventional weapons only, according to their serial numbers.
The current fleet of B-52Hs is composed of 76 aircraft, 46 of which are capable of launching nuclear weapons. The bomber, which has a range of 8,800 miles and a 70,000-pound payload, can carry nuclear or precision guided conventional ordnance, including bombs, mines and missiles.
The B-52H can launch up to 20 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles from its wings and internal weapons bay. This stealthy, air-to-ground cruise missile has a range of 230 miles for its original variant and 575 miles for its extended range variant.
In July, two Stratofortresses made history by flying over Finland for the first time as they transited from the U.S. mainland to Romania. In early November, the U.S. Air Force conducted two B-52H training missions in Finland in three days, with the bombers landing at Fairford afterward.
Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. Air Force for further information regarding the latest bomber training mission in Finland as well as the Russian Defense Ministry for comment by email.
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