US Air Force B-52s Arrive At RAF Fairford

The US Air Force has deployed a B-52 Bomber Task Force to RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire.

Six bombers and 400 personnel have now arrived in what is the largest US bomber deployment to the UK since the Iraq war.

Speaking at the press conference, Lieutenant General Jeffrey Harrigian, Deputy Commander USAFE-AFAFRICA said:

"This bomber task force is just one example of US strategic deterrent forces that protect our nation and the NATO Alliance.

"This deployment of combat air power is a visual example of our commitment [to NATO]," he added.

A B-52 Stratofortress refuelled over the UK.

The long-range bomber can carry nuclear weapons and precision-guided munitions.

Six B-52s have arrived from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana along with more than 400 personnel.

They will be based at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire during the largest US bomber deployment to Europe since the Iraq war when 17 bombers were based at Fairford. 

"The significance for us is that we're able to get in the airspace and train with our allied partners," says Lieutenant Colonel Mike Esposito, Bomber Task Force Commander.

Speaking to Forces News, Captain Austyn Wilson from 20th Bomb Squadron said: 

"Any time a B-52 goes anywhere a lot of people notice. That task is not taken lightly by us."

Over the coming weeks, the American B-52 aircraft will take part in multinational exercises.

The task force will operate over a huge area, from the Arctic all the way down to the Sahara desert.

Key facts about the B-52

• The B-52 is a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions;
• The bomber is capable of flying at high subsonic speeds at altitudes up to 50,000 feet (15,166m);
• It can carry nuclear or precision guided conventional ordnance with worldwide precision navigation capability;
• In conflict, the B-52 can perform strategic attack, close-air support, air interdiction, offensive counter-air and maritime operations;
• Two B-52s, in two hours, can monitor 140,000 square miles (364,000 square km) of ocean surface;
• All B-52s can be equipped with two electro-optical viewing sensors.