Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org
Ten B-52 Stratofortresses are currently deployed across Europe and the Middle East, representing nearly 15 percent of the entire U.S. Air Force fleet and an even larger chunk of combat-ready B-52s available.
U.S. Air Forces in Europe announced Nov. 8 that four B-52s have deployed to RAF Fairford, U.K., for a Bomber Task Force. Air & Space Forces Magazine previously reported that B-52s were deploying to Europe, but the Air Force had not disclosed the total number or their operating location.
That deployment comes on top of six B-52s that landed in the Middle East a few weeks ago to deter Iran and its proxies in the region.
USAF regularly sends bombers around the globe for task force deployments, and it is not unprecedented for bomber deployments to overlap.
But the sheer number of B-52s currently deployed overseas marks a high since the Air Force implemented Bomber Task Forces several years ago.
The Air Force has 76 B-52s in its inventory, so 10 deployed equals 13.2 percent of the fleet.
But of those 76, there are several constantly being cycled through depot maintenance, and several more are dedicated to testing weapons and upgrades like the bombers’ new engines and radar. On top of that, the fleet had a mission capable rate of 54 percent in 2023, which measures the percentage of time an aircraft is able to perform at least one of its core missions.
Taken together, and the 10 B-52s currently deployed could represent upwards of a quarter of the combat-ready fleet.
The bombers that went to Europe kicked off their deployment by flying alongside Finnish F-18 Hornets and Swedish JAS 39 Gripens—a noteworthy integration with NATO’s two new allies in the Arctic region.
“This Bomber Task Force mission exemplifies our unwavering commitment to our European Allies and partners. Together, we build stronger, more strategic relationships that reinforce security and stability across the region,” Gen. James Hecker, commander of USAFE, said in a statement.
Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org
The Air Force’s trio of A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft are now considered officially retired and are being mothballed at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., after briefly being used at the Air Force Test Pilot School.
The Royal International Air Tattoo, one of the world’s biggest annual air shows, will permanently move from its longtime home of RAF Fairford, a longtime base for the U.S. Air Force, to a different military installation in the United Kingdom, its organizers announced Nov. 4.
Shield AI has finished building its first full-scale prototype X-BAT, a vertical takeoff-and-landing autonomous drone, and is now moving it into a new development and testing phase.
General Atomics, the maker of one of the Air Force’s first Collaborative Combat Aircraft, has ambitious plans for its family of semi-autonomous drones beyond the FQ-42, including a flying-wing aircraft capable of carrying out both reconnaissance and strike missions. Meanwhile, the Air Force Research Laboratory announced a new program to…
Like a new car from the dealership, an HH-60W helicopter touched down at Joint Base Andrews, Md., on Nov. 2 with paperwork, a set of keys, and that fresh-from-the-factory smell. The newly activated 5th Helicopter Squadron accepted its first “Whiskey” in a brief but pomp-filled ceremony attended by the Air…
The U.S. conducted limited airstrikes against Iran on Nov. 2, the latest in a series of attacks the U.S. military has undertaken in the past few weeks but not publicly disclosed. The strikes occurred just ahead of the U.S. midterm elections.
The crash of a T-38 trainer jet this May—which caused a weekslong pause in flights across the fleet—was caused by an improperly installed pin for one of the jet’s horizontal stabilizers, according to a new accident report released Oct. 30. When the pin disengaged midflight, it created the slightest amount…
The Air Force in October carried out a homeland defense mission, with jets including F-16 Fighting Falcons, in Alaska’s remote Aleutian Islands to show a base there could safeguard the northern regions.
A new think tank analysis finds a hypothetical blended-wing body tanker could offer twice as much refueling performance as the KC-46A Pegasus and recommends the Air Force buy scores of them, as the service prepares to evaluate a BWB demonstrator next year and must juggle its future tanker plans with…
✓
Thank You!
Check your inbox to verify your email address and finish setting up your AFA account.
★
Welcome Back!
An account with this email already exists. Please log in to continue.
Subscribe to the Air & Space Forces Daily Report
The latest news from Air & Space Forces Magazine, as well as news from other leading publications, delivered right to your inbox every morning!
We’re sorry, there has been an error. Please review your input or try again later.
