B-52 Stratofortresses popped up from the Middle East to North Africa to the Nordic region in recent days, as the U.S. Air Force flexed the reach of its bomber fleet.
On Nov. 22, B-52s already deployed for Bomber Task Force mission 25-1 to RAF Fairford in the United Kingdom, took part in a joint training mission with the Royal Moroccan Air Force. The task force operation is the first of the new fiscal year.
On Nov. 23, B-52s deployed to the Middle East flew patrols in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S. mission to defeat ISIS in Syria and Iraq. The Air Force also released photos of F-15E fighters flying combat patrols.
And on Nov. 25, two B-52s flew from Fairford to conduct a simulated weapons drop training mission over Finland, integrating with Swedish and Finnish fighters along the way. It was the first such exercise over Finland involving a B-52.
U.S. Air Forces in Europe did not disclose details about the weapons drop training, such as what kinds of munitions were dropped and where they were released.
The trio of missions continue a busy stretch for the Stratofortress. Nearly 15 percent of the B-52 fleet deployed worldwide in recent weeks—six to the Middle East to deter Iran and its proxies in the region, and four for the first bomber task force of fiscal 2025 in Europe.
The B-52s previously dropped live ordnance over Lithuania, including GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs). The mission included coordinating with Lithuanian, Czech, Swedish, and Norwegian joint terminal attack controllers.
In the Middle East, a B-52 landed in Bahrain for the Bahrain International Airshow, its first-ever appearance at that event, and another bomber in the region integrated with British Royal Air Force fighters on Nov. 18.
