B-2 Flies Mock Strike Mission From Iceland To Alaska
The B-2 Spirit’s flight from Iceland to Alaska underscores the importance of long-range bomber operations, particularly in the Arctic region.
BY
OLIVER PARKEN
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PUBLISHED AUG 19, 2023 7:30 PM EDT
B-2 Spirit bomber pictured over the JPARC
AU.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, forward deployed to Iceland, recently flew from that country to take part in an air exercise ongoing in and around Alaska. The mission underscores the importance of distributed and extremely long-range capabilities to the service and particularly bomber operations over the increasingly strategic Arctic region.
The Department of Defense recently released images of the B-2 in question flying on August 15 during Exercise Red Flag-Alaska (RF-A) 23-3. The exercise began on August 14, and is set to conclude on August 25, with the aim of strengthening international cooperation and combat readiness through intensive and realistic air combat training. Red Flag Alaska is an outgrowth of the original Red Flag exercises that have been occurring for decades out of Nellis AFB in Nevada.
nge Complex, Alaska, August 15, 2023. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Andrew Britten
RF-A 23-3 is being performed from Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson, which is in Anchorage in southeastern Alaska, as well as Eielson Air Force Base, in eastern Alaska. 80 U.S. aircraft are involved, supported by 2,000 U.S. service members from 20 units. Aircraft from Australia, the U.K., Japan, New Zealand, and other countries are also participating.
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/b-2-flies-mock-strike-mission-from-iceland-to-alaska
