Past Bomber Task Force (BTF) deployments have seen the American bomber aircraft integrate with regional allies and partners.
The latest Bomber Task Force (BTF) mission in Europe began on Saturday when at least two United States Air Force Rockwell B-1B Lancers landed at Ørland Air Base, Norway. The aircraft and an undisclosed number of support personnel were deployed from Dyess Air Force Base (AFB), Texas, on August 9, 2025, to the Nordic nation to take part in “Ally-led training operations,” the service announced.
The US Air Force increasingly carries out the BTF missions with little, if any, advance notice. This marks the fifth BTF Europe deployment in fiscal year 2025 (FY25). However, it is the first time the B-1B Lancer has been deployed to Norway.
“This deployment allows us to train the way we fight — integrated with our NATO Allies, ready and adaptive,” explained Lt. Col. Eric Alvarez, 345th Bomb Squadron deployed commander. “It’s about building experience and trust together, enhancing readiness, and staying sharp in dynamic environments.”
The Air Force did not announce how long the mission will last, but recent BTF deployments have ranged from a week to nearly a month. The service has only explained that the “bomber aircrews will conduct a series of Ally-led training missions in complex, high-threat airspace,” and that training will focus on the “key elements of the find, fix, track and target process.”
NATO Members Will Participate in Joint Operations
Past BTF deployments have seen the American bomber aircraft integrate with regional allies and partners. Plans have already been announced for the B-1B to conduct training flights with Norwegian F-35 fighters. The mission is likely to include further operations alongside NATO members Sweden and Finland in the Nordic region, and possibly flights over the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
The B-1Bs were escorted to Norway by Spanish Air and Space Force EF/A-18M Hornets (the Spanish variant of the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet), which were deployed to Keflavik Air Base, Iceland, as part of a NATO air policing mission earlier this month.
The United States Air Force is the only NATO member that operates long-range bombers, but during the BTF deployments, the US aircraft are supported by fighters from alliance members.
“It’s about building experience and trust together, enhancing readiness, and staying sharp in dynamic environments,” said Norwegian Lieutenant Colonel Tom Christiansen, acting chief of the 132 Air Wing at Ørland. “This type of training makes us better equipped to handle any challenges.”
The Bombers Are Meant to Send a Message to Russia
Although the deployment was likely in the planning stages for weeks, it comes in advance of a high-stakes meeting planned for Friday between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump in Alaska to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. The Kremlin will undoubtedly take notice of the US Air Force’s B-1B Lancers carrying out training exercises with NATO fighters in the region.
The BTF mission is also coming just a month before Russia and its ally Belarus will begin the massive Zapad-2025 (West-2025) joint exercises. Around 13,000 troops are currently expected to take part based on official announcements from Moscow and Minsk. Still, the European Parliament believes the actual number could be significantly higher, and has described the upcoming drills as being “even more brazen provocations” than past exercises. At the same time, there is a concern that ” Zapad-2025 “could be used as a cover for an actual military escalation.”
In response to the apprehension from the NATO members in the region, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said in an interview last week that the drills will occur deeper within Belarus.
What Are the Capabilities of the B-1B Lancer?
The United States Air Force currently operates 45 B-1B Lancers. The aircraft formally entered service 40 years ago as a nuclear bomber, but following the end of the Cold War, it can only carry conventional weapons.
- Year Introduced: 1985
- Number Built: 104
- Length: 146 feet (44.5 meters)
- Height: 34 feet (10.4 meters)
- Wingspan: 79 feet (24.1 meters)
- Weight:
- Empty – 190,000 pounds (86,183 kilograms)
- Maximum takeoff weight – 477,000 pounds (216,364 kilograms)
- Engines: 4 x General Electric F101-GE-102 afterburning turbofan engines
- Top Speed: Mach 1.25 (approx. 925 mph)
- Range: 6,500 nautical miles (12,000 km)
- Service Ceiling: 60,000 feet (18,000 meters)
- Payload:
- Internal – 75,000 pounds (34,019 kilograms)
- External – 50,000 pounds (22,679 kilograms)
- Aircrew: Four, including an aircraft commander, copilot, and two weapon systems officers (offensive and defensive)
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a thirty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
