A B-52 is flanked by four Saudi Arabian F-15Cs as it flies over Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia, on Nov. 1, 2019. Air Forces Central Command Twitter video screenshot.
US aircraft continued their high-profile operations in Saudi Arabia on Nov. 1, when a B-52 flew alongside four F-15Cs from host country.
The B-52—deployed to Europe from Barksdale AFB, La., for a bomber task force—flew alongside the four Saudi jets over Prince Sultan Air Base. Last week, four Air Force B-1s flew directly to that base for a short-term deployment. USAF F-22s and Navy E/A-18G Growlers recently arrived there as well.
The US has lately grown its presence at Prince Sultan, a relatively bare base where USAF personnel have built up resources to support large-scale flight operations. Additionally, the US is in the process of bringing Patriot missile defense batteries, additional fighter squadrons, a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System, and an air expeditionary wing to Saudi Arabia.
The Barksdale B-52s deployed to Europe in early October, and have extensively trained across the continent. That included receiving fuel and flying alongside French aircraft, and training along with B-2s from Whiteman AFB, Mo., in a large-scale exercise.