On 12 November 2025, a U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress operating from Morón Air Base in Spain joined a series of strategic flights over Northern Europe, coinciding with NATO’s Playbook Merlin 25 anti-submarine warfare exercise in the Baltic Sea.
The synchronized air and maritime activity demonstrated the Alliance’s commitment to a multi-domain deterrence posture across its northern and eastern frontiers.
Led by Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) and hosted by Sweden, the exercise brought together German and Swedish submarines, U.S. maritime patrol aircraft, and surface and rotary-wing units from France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden. The forces trained advanced anti-submarine warfare (ASW) tactics optimized for the Baltic’s shallow waters and dense shipping corridors.
In the air, the B-52H integrated with NATO fighters and airborne early-warning platforms to rehearse long-range strike coordination, while maritime units built and tested the kill-chain against quiet diesel-electric submarines. Together, the operations displayed the Alliance’s ability to detect, track, and respond across domains — from the air to the seabed — reinforcing NATO’s layered defense concept.
The bomber deployments form part of Bomber Task Force Europe 26-1. According to U.S. Air Forces in Europe (USAFE), aircraft from the 2nd Bomb Wing arrived at Morón on 8 November to conduct theater missions with Allied air forces, refining tactics for contested environments and showcasing the ability to rapidly project long-range strike power across Europe. Open-source flight data confirmed B-52 patrols over the Baltic and near Russia’s northwestern borders.
At sea, Playbook Merlin 25 runs from 10–14 November, combining undersea and surface elements in a scenario designed to defend vital sea lanes and critical infrastructure. NATO officials highlighted how joint ASW training strengthens interoperability and readiness throughout the Alliance’s maritime forces.
The simultaneity of strategic bomber patrols and ASW operations is deliberate — an illustration of NATO’s evolving doctrine of layered deterrence, where airpower, maritime surveillance, and undersea warfare are rehearsed together to ensure rapid, coordinated response in crisis conditions.
Beyond the maneuvers, the message is clear: as Europe faces heightened concerns over seabed infrastructure security and maritime coercion, NATO is demonstrating credible readiness rather than rhetorical escalation. The B-52 presence above and the Merlin 25 drills below are two facets of the same strategy — deterrence that is integrated, practiced, and ready.
