Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      The B-2’s deployment to Lajes Field provides a staging point allowing commanders to confront a broad range of global challenges in support of the National Defense Strategy, through the employment of a multi-role bomber.B-2 Spirit integrates with NATO ally at Lajes
                        
                        
                        A B-2 Spirit, assigned to Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., takes off for a Bomber Task Force mission in the high North region from Lajes Field, Azores, March 16, 2021. The B-2’s deployment to Lajes Field provides a staging point allowing commanders to confront a broad range of global challenges in support of the National Defense Strategy, through the employment of a multirole bomber. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Heather Salazar)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        The B-2’s deployment to Lajes Field provides a staging point allowing commanders to confront a broad range of global challenges in support of the National Defense Strategy, through the employment of a multi-role bomber.B-2 Spirit integrates with NATO ally at Lajes
                        
                        
                        A crew chief deployed with the 393rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, from Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., marshals a B-2 Spirit for takeoff during a Bomber Task Force mission at Lajes Field, Azores, March 16, 2021. Bomber Task Force missions are critical to ensuring Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen are capable of executing operations at the direction of the national command authority. By training in Europe, aircrew and Airmen are familiarizing with the European theater and airspace, to enhance enduring skills and relationships with allies and partners. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Heather Salazar)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        The B-2’s deployment to Lajes Field provides a staging point allowing commanders to confront a broad range of global challenges in support of the National Defense Strategy, through the employment of a multi-role bomber.B-2 Spirit integrates with NATO ally at Lajes
                        
                        
                        Fuels technicians assigned to the 393rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. prepare fuel hoses to hot-pit refuel a B-2 Spirit at Lajes Field, Azores, March 22, 2021. The B-2s are currently supporting Bomber Task Force missions across Europe and stopped at Lajes Field to conduct hot-pit refueling and crew changes before continuing to the high Northern Europe region. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Heather Salazar)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

B-2 Spirit integrates with NATO ally at Lajes FieldPublished March 25, 2021
                    
                    By Tech. Sgt. Heather Salazar
                    
                    
                    509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
            **LAJES FIELD, Azores (AFNS) --**Three **B-2 Spirit** stealth bombers, assigned to the **509th Bomb Wing**, **Whiteman Air Force Base**, Missouri, along with more than 100 Airmen, civilians and contractors, arrived at Lajes Field to participate in a series of Bomber Task Force missions in the high Northern Europe region.
Bomber Task Force missions are critical to ensuring **Air Force Global Strike Command** Airmen are capable of executing operations at the direction of the national command authority. By training in Europe, aircrew and Airmen are familiarizing themselves with the European theater and airspace, to enhance enduring skills and relationships with allies and partners.
“We’re ready to execute our missions and achieve all of **(U.S.) European Command**’s objectives,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Christopher Conant, **393rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron** commander.
The B-2’s deployment to Lajes Field provides a staging point, allowing commanders to confront a broad range of global challenges in support of the **National Defense Strategy**, through the employment of a multirole bomber.
“Lajes Field has been in continuous use with Portuguese and U.S. military presence since 1943,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Tammy S. Hinskton, 65th Air Base Group commander. “It has been called upon for decades to enable the movement of expeditionary forces and has proved its geo-strategic importance time and time again. The men and women at Lajes Field have a long tradition of being trained, ready and able to support global operations when called upon.”
While the U.S. Air Force routinely deploys a variety of aircraft and units throughout Europe for training and to support geographic combatant command objectives, the B-2’s deployment to Lajes Field demonstrates the importance of working with U.S. allies and partners.
“We are strongly committed to our long-standing relationship with our Portuguese allies, a relationship based on trust, respect and the common goals of protecting our mutual security and strategic interests,” Hinskton added. “Lajes Field provides strategic communication and power projection platforms to support global operations, enable combined forces across three combatant commands and supports our international partnerships.”
The theater integration and training with allies, partners and other U.S. military units enhances interoperability capability across the entire theater. This cooperation increases Air Force Global Strike Command’s Airmen readiness, and the B-2’s ability to respond to and support global operations.
“If there’s one thing history has proven, it’s that warfighting is a team sport,” Conant said. “This won’t change, which is why it’s so valuable for us to get into theater and start integrating with our allies and partners. We are doing some new types of integration on this trip and it is really exciting to see the coalition get stronger.”
The employment of bombers contributes to stability throughout Europe, as they are intended to deter conflict. However, the B-2 can offer a rapid response capability to meet any need, anytime, anywhere.
“The B-2 bomber is the only asset in the world capable of combining stealth, a massive payload of weapons, and significant strike range, both unrefueled and refueled,” Conant said. “The B-2 can hold targets at risk for European Command authorities, from home station or a forward operating location. Putting B-2s in theater at a location like Lajes Field, allows the 393rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron to provide a faster response and increased sorties for the combatant commander. It also provides the opportunity to integrate with our allies and partners, making everyone more lethal.”
As the B-2 conducts missions to enhance the readiness and training necessary for Airmen to respond to potential disasters or challenges around the globe, Lajes Field provides a strategic stepping stone in the European theater that assures mission success.
“Lajes Field is an important military organization vital to U.S., NATO and international security efforts,” Hinskton added. “Also, Lajes Field operates a key communication node that provides weather, telephone, email and internet coverage to aircraft, closing a coverage gap across the Atlantic Ocean, as well as the USAF's second largest fuel reserve capability.”
The B-2’s presence at Lajes Field is a symbol of assurance and commitment to our allies and partners. By conducting missions from Lajes Field, Whiteman AFB Airmen demonstrate their ability to operate around the globe and are flexible and agile to respond to the changes in the operational environment.**U.S. Air Forces in Europe** routinely hosts and supports a variety of U.S. Air Force aircraft and units for training and to support geographic combatant command objectives. Operating with a variety of aircraft and units in Europe maintains a ready and postured force prepared to respond to and support global operations.AFWN 



USAF 



AF 



Air Force 



BTF 



Bomber Task Force 



B-2 Spirit 



Lajes Field 



Azorez 



509th BW 



Whiteman AFB 



AFGSC 



European command 



USAFE 



mission 



training 



readiness 



joint 



Allies 



NDS Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                DAF leaders talk budget, reoptimizing the force
                    
                    DAF leaders speak at National Character and Leadership Symposium
                    
                    DAF members recognized during BEYA STEM awards
                    
                    DAF senior enlisted advisors discuss Airmen, Guardians in the fight
                    
                    SecAF Kendall AFA Warfare Symposium Q&A: Reoptimizing for Great Power CompetitionInnovation
                AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalists
                    
                    Chief Digital, Artificial Intelligence Office to host hackathon in HawaiiMAJCOM News
                Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
                    
                    AMC rises to increasing global tension
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil