Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- According to the headquarters of NATO and the US European Command, on 28 August 2020, a one-day mission (exercise) of combat aviation of NATO countries called Allied Sky was carried out.

During the exercise, 6 American strategic bombers B-52H, accompanied by fighters and tanker aircraft, flew combat over NATO countries in Europe and North America.

On European territory, aircraft from Belgium, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Hungary, Germany, Greece, Denmark, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Turkey, France, Croatia and the Czech Republic participated in the exercise together with US aviation.

According to the US European Command, the purpose of the one-day mission "Allied Sky" was - "to demonstrate NATO solidarity, increase the readiness and interoperability of the flight crews of the US and NATO allies." It was especially emphasized that "the doctrine was planned long ago and is not a reaction to current political events in Europe."

Russia has traditionally reacted to NATO aviation flights, raising air defense forces on duty fighters into the air and escorting NATO aircraft near its air borders.

Commenting on this event, observers pay attention to the following points.

First, the participation of American aviation in the exercise, the involvement of all NATO countries with aviation, and wide media coverage are designed to demonstrate the inviolability of transatlantic ties, shaken due to the ambiguous decisions and actions of the United States within the Alliance.

Second, the United States emphasizes its leadership and desire to preserve NATO amid claims of a "brain crisis" in the organization, as well as confrontation between allies in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Thirdly, the activity of NATO aviation "on all fronts" may be associated with the upcoming large-scale Russian exercises "Kavkaz-2020" in September.

In general, experts believe that by conducting one-day exercises, the United States decided to show the whole world the cohesion and effectiveness of NATO despite the deepening internal division.