Two US Boeing B-52 Stratofortress bombers will carry out surveillance flights over the airspace of the Republic of Cyprus on Wednesday, according to the Greek Reporter.
It said that the ‘flying fortresses’ as they also known will fly over Greece and Cyprus as part of a military exercise. They are due to fly to Greece from RAF Fairford in the UK.
According to media reports, they will be accompanied by F-16 fighter jets from Greece, and will jointly conduct a series of exercises, including virtual bombings of enemy targets and protection scenarios as part of an operation, the news site added.
The route is expected to be just barely inside the Flight Information Regions (FIR) of Athens and Nicosia, as the aircraft will pass right along the edges of both FIRs, it said.
The exercise was requested by Washington several days ago. The Americans asked the Greek Defence Ministry to include Greek F-16 jets which are set to accompany the American bombers on their exercises.
Citing Greek analysts, the website said that the American initiative to bring its “trademark” military might to fly over Greece and Cyprus, not only indicates the excellent and enhanced level of the Greco-American relationship, but also sends a clear message to all those who want to undermine the rights of Athens and Nicosia in the region.
