US In Show Of Strength At Air Tattoo

The US Air Force has announced it will be bringing some significant hardware to the Royal International Air Tattoo.

Held over the weekend of the 17-19th July at RAF Fairford it's the world's largest military airshow.

In 2013 spending controls meant that not one USAF aircraft attended the event, this year things are very different.

Likely to cause the largest ripple of excitement will be the appearance of two Special Ops CV-22B Ospreys - one will be static, the other wowing crowds with a series of flying displays.

A Special Operations Commando II Hercules will also in attendance along with a pair of F-15C Eagle tactical fighters.

Two A-10 Thunderbolt II 'Tankbusters', also affectionately known as Warthogs, will be on display along with a KC-135R Stratotanker.

VIDEO: Click here to take a wild ride in an A-10 Warthog

Air Tattoo Chief Executive Andy Armstrong said "The Air Tattoo has always enjoyed an excellent relationship with the US military. The support the US Air Force gives us in allowing our show to be staged at RAF Fairford, a USAF stand-by base, is invaluable and gratefully appreciated.

"I'm very pleased that visitors to the Air Tattoo will have the opportunity to view this superb range of USAF aircraft next month."

Video: Click here for a U-2 pilot's view of landing at RAF Fairford

The show of strength is in part due to large numbers of US aircraft currently operating in Europe - including from RAF's Mildenhall and Lakenheath - as NATO conducts a multitude of exercises in the region.

Many are aimed at testing the defensive capabilities of those countries such as Estonia which border Russia.

RAF Fairford itself, run by the US military on a 'care and maintenance' or 'warm' basis, has played host to B-2 Spirit stealth bombers, U-2 spy planes and B-52 Stratofortress', in recent weeks.