First B-52H Bomber Deployment to Romania With Cross-Theater Operations in CENTCOM

The United States operated two B-52H Stratofortress long-range strategic bombers from Romania for the first time on July 21 and, in another first, forward deployed one of the B-52H aircraft just days later to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of operations. This bomber task force demonstrates not just the endurance of strategic aircraft and their ability to move rapidly into and across theaters but also how U.S. investments in NATO partnerships can help secure U.S. interests in the Middle East.

Two B-52H Stratofortress from Barksdale Air Force Base deployed as Bomber Task Force 24-4 to Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base (MKAB) near Constanta, Romania, on July 21, 2024. The flight was intercepted in international airspace by two Russian aircraft over the Barents Sea but continued and landed without incident at MKAB. This deployment preceded the combined bomber patrol by Russia and China on July 24 into the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone, which is a zone in international airspace where aircraft identification is required for U.S. national security.

Since Romania joined the NATO alliance in March 2004, MKAB has been one of NATO’s easternmost bases in Europe. The United States has had a presence at MKAB since 1999. The Romanian Ministry of Defense announced on June 12 a $2.6 billion investment to expand facilities at MKAB. That investment will also make MKAB the largest NATO base in Europe.

Since 2014, MKAB has  hosted the NATO air policing mission as part of the eastern deterrence posture. That mission was recently put to the test when two Finnish F-18s took off to intercept three Russian-launched Shahed one-way attack drones that strayed into Romanian airspace during a mass attack on Odesa, Ukraine, on the night of July 24. Fragments of the systems were found in Romanian territory the following day.

On July 25, four days after deploying to MKAB, one of the B-52Hs forward deployed into CENTCOM to integrate with seven partner nations for a U.S. Marine Corps Central Command-hosted maritime fires support symposium in Jordan. Integration included partner nation aircraft joining the B-52H within the partner nation airspace and communication and coordination in aerial formations. The B-52H did not conduct any munitions employment but immediately re-deployed to complete the 32-hour mission by landing back in the United States.

The demonstrated endurance of this particular B-52H mission and the agility of the aircraft to move into and between theaters sent a message to Russia and Iran. With an unrefueled range of 8,800 miles, launching the B-52H from MKAB demonstrates the aircraft’s ability to take off from Europe and reach within the CENTCOM area of responsibility to potentially support multiple mission types, including strategic attack, close air support, air interdiction, and maritime operations. The B-52H previously deployed to Diego Garcia and Qatar during periods of heightened tension with Iran.

Exercises and deployments that cross between the combatant commands can create serious complications for the strategies of major regional powers like Iran. Tehran has invested heavily in ballistic missiles to threaten U.S. air operating locations in the region. When aircraft can launch and recover from bases outside of Iran’s medium surface-to-surface ballistic missile range, these locations limit Iran’s recourse to its smaller inventory of long-range ballistic missiles.

NATO alliances in Eastern Europe create additional basing options for air operations in multiple theaters. The administration and Congress should support Pentagon efforts to strengthen NATO posture in Eastern Europe and conduct more military exercises and deployments that demonstrate the ability to project combat power across combatant command boundaries. These exercises and deployments improve U.S. military readiness and its ability to operate with allies while bolstering deterrence.

Dr. Lydia LaFavor is a research fellow at FDD’s Center on Military and Political Power (CMPP), where Ryan Brobst is a senior research analyst. For more analysis from the authors and CMPP, please subscribe HERE. Follow FDD on Twitter @FDD and @FDD_CMPP. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.