More than 40 warplanes and 1,000 personnel from four nations are taking part in a major multinational air combat exercise to “re-establish credible deterrence and sharpen warfighting capabilities” against Russia. Normally, the annual Atlantic Trident exercise involves just Britain, the US and France.
But this year it is taking place in Finland, which shares a vast 800-mile land border with Russia. The move, say official sources, reflects recognition of the major boost Finland’s armed forces have given to NATO since joining the alliance in 2023.
One aim will be to hone interoperability between different types of fourth and fifth-generation fast jets deployed to protect NATO’s airspace.
Combat exercises over the next ten days will involve Royal Air Force Typhoons, French Rafale fighters, Finnish F/A-18 Hornets and U.S. F-35A Lightning IIs and F-15E Strike Eagles – all supported by air tankers, transport aircraft, and an E-3 AWACS surveillance platform.
Crucially, at a time when question marks remain over the US commitment to NATO forces in Europe, Atlantic Trident is being led by U.S. Air Forces in Europe–Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA).
Earlier this year, USAF Maj. Gen. Jason Armagost, commander of US Bomber Task Force 25-2, said:
“The history we have in the UK, particularly for air operations, is deep. The RAF trains with us in the US a lot. And so the historical ties really carry us through.”
Speaking as a group of four USAF B-52B and B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombers carried out a six-week tour from the UK in February, he told the Express that the US would continue to require an air force presence in Europe to maintain its political and strategic interests across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
“One of the things we know about the Pacific is the ‘tyranny of distance’ – you have to fly for many more hours to touch a few countries,” said Gen Armagost from RAF Fairford, in Gloucestershire.
“But the Bomber Task Force is incredibly effective in the European theatre because, for that same duration, we can almost touch the entire continent.
“From Europe, we can fly to Africa, we can fly to the Middle East. And that has been done just in the last few weeks. This is of incredible value.”
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has triggered a rise in the frequency of US bomber deployments to Europe, with USAF sources confirming these now occur on a quarterly basis.
Last night a U.S. Air Force spokesperson said:“Recurring training events like Atlantic Trident allow the U.S. to forward-deploy combat power, train in complex air environments, and sharpen integration with close partners.”