A pair of B-52 Stratofortresses from Barksdale Air Force in Louisiana made a round trip to Europe for a major NATO training exercise last week.

The B-52s, from Barksdale’s 2nd Bomb Wing, took off from the United States Oct. 14, the base said in a release a day later, and crossed the Atlantic Ocean for the bomber task force mission.

The bombers flew to the North Sea to take part in a training exercise hosted by NATO over the North Sea, coordinating with other participants in the air and on the ground. That exercise, which ultimately lasted two weeks, involved more than 50 aircraft from multiple NATO nations, and was designed to ensure that allied air forces can effectively work together, the Air Force said.

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The B-52s then flew back non-stop to the United States, with the help of aerial refueling from the U.S., Dutch, German and Italian air forces. The refueling missions included KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft from the 100th Air Refueling Wing at RAF Mildenhall in England, which refueled the bombers off the coast of Scotland.

The Air Force said the flight was intended to demonstrate U.S. support for its allies and partners, and its “shared commitment to global security and stability.”

Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations.

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