Minot B-52s participate, train with allies in Baltops, Saber Strike exercises

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Malia Jenkins
  • Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE FAIRFORD, England (AFNS) --  Air, maintenance and support crews from bases around Air Force Global Strike Command forward deployed to Royal Air Force Fairford, June 5, to participate in the multinational Baltops 2015 and Saber Strike exercises.

During the exercises, B-52H Stratofortresses from Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, demonstrated the ability of AFGSC assets to project conventional air power anywhere, anytime, by conducting flying missions with European nations. This is the second year AFGSC has deployed assets to the European area of responsibility (AOR).

"We are here as an asset of U.S. Strategic Command in order to participate in Baltops and Saber Strike and the associated countries that participate in both these exercises," said Lt. Col. Bradley Dyer, the 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron commander. "Our partnership with the countries out here in U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa is significant. We need their support, and we want to assure them they have our support as well for any kind of conflicts that may arise in the future -- our relationship with them is key."

Baltops was designed to improve maritime security in the Baltic Sea through increased interoperability and cooperation among regional allies.

Saber Strike is a long-standing, U.S. Army Europe-led cooperative training exercise conducted annually, which aims to improve cooperation and capabilities of participating nations for future contingency operations and train participants on command and control, as well as interoperability with regional partners.

"The significance of us participating with our (allies) and the importance of why we participate with them is to show them we can project bomber capability into the European theater at any time," Dyer said.

Dyer added that participating in these multinational exercises also reflects the importance of RAF Fairford and keeping the capabilities necessary to support any exercise or mission of AFGSC assets here. Ensuring the capabilities to deploy are here and the base can be used at a moment's notice, demonstrating to our allies and partners we're here and committed to assurance and deterrence within the European AOR, he said.