Multiple B-52 Stratofortresses landed at Morón Air Base, Spain, on Nov. 8 for the Air Force’s first Bomber Task Force rotation of fiscal 2026 in Europe.
The bombers, from Barksdale Air Force Base, La., flew alongside Spanish Eurofighter Typhoon fighters as they drew near Morón, located in southern Spain some 75 miles from the Strait of Gibraltar.
But while the B-52s will be based in southwestern Europe, U.S. Air Forces in Europe emphasized in a release that the rotation will be focused east and north. Specifically, the release noted that the bombers will train alongside forces from Finland, Lithuania, and Sweden.
“By strategically deploying forces and assets through multilateral training like this, the U.S. Air Force is better postured to respond rapidly to emerging threats and maintain a credible deterrent along Europe’s Eastern Flank and the High North,” the release states.
On Nov. 12, the Finnish Air Force posted on social media that some of its F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets escorted a B-52 through Finland’s airspace as it carried out simulated drops on targets.
Open-source flight tracking data shows the B-52 also flew over Sweden, Estonia, and Latvia, less than 50 miles from Russia at some points.
Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO also posted on social media that the B-52s would participate in the latest edition of the Neptune Strike exercise, focused on maritime strike.
As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine grinds on, eastern European and Nordic countries have grown increasingly concerned. Within the past few weeks, officials from Sweden and Lithuania have accused Russia of engaging in “hybrid” or “gray zone” warfare—actions like sabotage and airspace violations that fall below the threshold of open conflict and test the limits of how nations might respond.
Just this week, NATO launched an anti-submarine warfare exercise in the Baltic Sea near Sweden.
This is the second time in 2025 that B-52s have been stationed at Morón for a Bomber Task Force. Back in May, BUFFs from Minot Air Force Base, N.D., deployed there. B-1B Lancers also deployed there in March 2024.
While most bomber deployments to Europe have been based at RAF Fairford, U.K., the Air Force has been steadily increasing the number of host locations. B-1s were based out of Ørland Air Base, Norway, in August. Sweden and Iceland have hosted rotations in recent years as well.
This is also the second Bomber Task Force rotation currently underway. In October, B-1s deployed to Misawa Air Base, Japan.
