Two B-52H Stratofortresses flew home to Minot AFB, N.D., on June 23 after completing a roughly one-month deployment to RAF Fairford, United Kingdom. While in Europe, the bombers participated in exercises Baltops 16 and Saber Strike 16, flying a total of 25 sorties in countries such as Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, France, Germany, and Italy. The heavy bombers also participated in airshows around Europe, including shows in Paris and Berlin. “The B-52 is a great sign of America’s presence for assuring allies and deterring potential enemies,” said Col. Kieran Denehan, 5th Expeditionary Operations Group commander, in a June 23 release.
F-16s assigned to the New Jersey Air National Guard will live forever in the popular video game Microsoft Flight Simulator, thanks to an audio producer who records aircraft sounds to help make virtual flight as realistic as possible.