2010’s

2010

July:  B-52H 61-0002 (11thBS 2ndBW) & B-52H 61-0039 (69thBS 5thBW) attended the Royal International Air Tattoo (www.flickr.com/photos/145543649@N03/albums/72157672593291171/with/29548757406)

Sep – 13th: B-52H 60-0045/BD 93BS Barksdale. This aircraft had been in the static of the Leuchars airshow on September 11th.

14th: B-52H 61-0017/BD 93BS Barksdale

2011

July:  B-52H 61-0014 (69th BS) attended the Royal International Air Tattoo (www.scramble.nl)

Sep – 26th: B-52H 61-0008/BD 93rd BS/917th Wing from a European airshow

2012

Mar – C-130s from the 352nd SOG RAF Mildenhall undertook a short exercise at the end of the month

Apr – More than 140 personnel and four C-130J Hercules aircraft from the 37th Airlift Squadron, 86th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and the 435th Contingency Response Group arrived at Fairford on the 23rd April.  This was to test Ramstein’s ability to deploy its aircraft and supporting assets on short notice and conduct tactical airdrop missions at a bare base. The deployment ended on the 27th April.

May – C-130s from the 352 SOG RAF Mildenhall began their Operational Readiness Inspection at RAF Fairford on the 4th, with the exercise concluding on the 16th

July:  B-52H 60-0042 (93rd BS) & B-2A 82-1068 (13th BS) attended the Royal International Air Tattoo (www.scramble.nl)

Sep – A number of B-52 arrivals at Fairford, all movements relating to air shows in Europe

    • 3rd: 60-0035/BD (307 BW/AFRC) – dep 4th
    • 13th: 60-0024/LA (20BS/2BW) dep 17th & 60-0058/LA (20BS/2BW) dep 18th
    • 24th: 60-0003/BD (307 BW/AFRC) & 61-0031/BD (307 BW/AFRC) – both dep 25th

 

2014

June – 4th: B-52s 61-0004/LA (20 BS / 2 BW), 60-0017/MT (69 BS / 5 BW) & 60-0059/LA (96 BS / 2 BW)

On the lead up to the deployment the three B-52s were due to take part in ‘Exercise Sabre Strike 2014’ but that was cancelled the day they actually arrived and the detachment was downgraded to a familiarisation exercise (FAMEX) around the UK.

8th: B-2As 82-1069/WM (393 BS / 509 BW) & 93-1088/WM (13 BS / 509 BW)

Jetwash Aviation report – http://www.jetwashaviationphotos.com/2nd-aeg–usaf-b-2s—b-52s-at-raf-fairford.html

 

2015

BALTOPS / SABRE STRIKE 2015

June – 5th: B-52Hs, 60-0018/MT (23 BS/5 BW), 60-0047/MT (23 BS/5 BW), 61-0040/MT (69 BS/ 5 BW)

Report can be found here –
http://www.jetwashaviationphotos.com/usaf-bombers-in-britain–raf-fairford.html

Some more B-52 Deployment photo’s can be seen here – http://forums.airshows.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=64889&p=664777#p664777

 

7th June:  B-2As 82-1068/WM (13 BS / 509 BW), 88-0329/WM (110 BS /131 BW)

8th June: B-2As 82-1069/WM (393 BS /509 BW), 90-0040/WM (393 BS /509 BW)

Sep – 21st: B-52H 61-0008/BD  (96 BS / AFRC). Departed on the 22nd.

2016

Apr – 20th: B-52H 61-0001/MT (69 BS/ 5 BW). It departed on the 21st.

 

BALTOPS / SABER STRIKE 2016

Jun – 2nd: B-52Hs 60-0044/MT (23 BS/ 5 BW) & 60-0037/MT (23 BS/ 5 BW). 3rd: B-52H 60-0007/MT (23 BS/ 5 BW)

Report here – http://www.airshows.co.uk/features/2016/raf-fairford-baltops-exercise-saber-strike/

Aug – 30th: B-52H 60-0038/BD (93 BS / 307 BW)

Sep – 3rd: B-1Bs 85-0089/DY (345 BS / 489 BG) & 85-0127/DY (345 BS / 489 BG).  Both departed on the 13th.

19th:  B-1B  85-0089/DY (345 BS / 489 BG) & B-52H 60-0038/BD (93 BS / 307 BW)

B-1B 85-0127 which carried 9 BS/7 BW markings departed for home on the 13th September. B-1B 85-0089 and B-52H 60-0038 also departed on the 13th September to the NATO days at Ostrava, returning on the 19th. They both attempted to return home on the following day but the B-1B returned some two and a half hours later after declaring an emergency with a major
hydraulic failure, it finally departed for home on the 26th September. The B-1’s were crewed by the 345 BS/AFRC which sits under the 489 BG/AFRC at Dyess this unit then reports to the 307 BW/AFRC at Barksdale.

2017

‘DEFENDERS OF LIBERTY’
Global Strike Command @ RAF Fairford – www.jetwashaviationphotos.com/-defenders-of-liberty-.html

All three of the Air Force’s bombers are deployed to Europe for “theater assurance and deterrence” in the region, marking “the first time in history all three of Air Force Global Strike Command’s strategic bomber aircraft are simultaneously in the European Theatre,”

June – 1st: B-52Hs 61-0020/LA (20 BS /2 BW) & 60-0002/LA (2 BW). 2nd: B-52H 60-0021/LA (96 BS / 2 BW). All aircraft departed 15th/16th June

7th: B-1Bs 85-0083/EL (34 BS / 28 BW) & 85-0084/EL (34 BS / 28 BW)

8th: B-1B 86-0139/EL (34 BS / 28 BW). All aircraft departed 20th June

9th: B-2As 82-1068/WM (13 BS / 509 BW) & 88-0329/WM (110 BS / 131 BW). 82-1068 departed 20th and 88-0329 on the 15th

12th: B-1B 86-0120/EL (37 BS / 28 BW) – departed on the 17th

July:  B-52H 60-0022 (96th BS), B-1B 85-0060 (34th BS) & B-2A 93-1087 (509th BW) flypast 16th July, attended the Royal International Air Tattoo (www.scramble.nl)

Aug – 23rd:  B-1Bs 86-0124/DY (7 BW / 9 BS) & 85-0087/DY (7 BW / 9 BS) and B-52H 60-0003/BD (307 BW / 93 BS). 85-0087 departed on the 11th Sep to Ostrava. 86-0124 & 60-0003 departed on the 12th Sep.

Sep – 1st: B-52H 61-0029/BD (307 BW / 93 BS) – departed on the 11th to Ostrava.

14th: B-52Hs 60-0021/LA (2 BW / 96 BS), 60-0024 (2 BW / 20 BS), 61-0020/LA (2 BW / 20 BS)

18th: saw the arrival from Ostrava of B-52H 61-0029/BD (307 BW / 93 BS) & B-1B 85-0087/DY (7 BW / 9 BS)

Oct – 10th: B-1Bs 86-0101/DY (28 BS / 7 BW) & 86-0105/DY (28 BS / 7 BW). 86-0101 departed on the 27th and 86-0105 departed on the 23rd

2018

Sovereign Skies

Jan – 9th: B-52Hs 60-0005/MT (5 BW / 23 BS) & 60-0009/MT (5 BW / 69 BS).

10th:  B-52H 60-0012/MT (5 BW / 69 BS)

11th: B-52H 61-0005/MT (5 BW / 69 BS)

These four B-52Hs were deployed as part of the 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron

12th: B-52H 61-0018 – departed on the 16th (This aircraft was not part of the exercise)

http://www.usafe.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1428395/minot-airmen-b-52s-complete-uk-deployment/

BALTOPS / SABER STRIKE

May – 30th:  B-1Bs deployed for the 345th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron – 86-0098/DY (28 BS / 7 BW), 86-0101/DY (28 BS / 7 BW) & 86-0119/DY (28 BS / 7 BW)

The deployed B-1s were grounded from the 7th June due to a fleet wide stand down over ejection seat issues, they finally departed on the 19th June

http://www.afgsc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1538407/345th-expeditionary-bomb-squadron-takes-flight-to-the-uk/

 

Updated take on a WWII heritage design, replacing a big round “notional” style bomb with a JDAM and putting a beer in the other hand

 

Jun – 7th: B-1B 86-0134/EL (34 BS / 28 BW) – departed on the 20th

July:  B-1B 85-0069 (34th BS) & B-2A 82-1068 (509th BW) flypast 14th July, attended the Royal International Air Tattoo (www.scramble.nl)

AMPLE STRIKE 2018

Sep – 5th: B-52Hs deployed for the 343rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron. 60-0057/BD (307 BW / 93 BS) & 61-0015/LA (2 BW / 96 BS) – Departed 18th/19th September 2018

www.501csw.usafe.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1626709/ample-strike-18-underway/

2019

July:  B-52H 60-0048 (20th BS) attended the Royal International Air Tattoo (www.scramble.nl)

Aug – 28th: B-52H 60-0002/LA (2 BW) – departed 29th August

AMPLE STRIKE 2019

1x B-52H – 60-0041 (307 BW / 93 BS) – Arrived 5th September 2019 – Departed 24th September 2019

1x B-52 www.usafe.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1958190/307th-bomb-wing-preps-for-dual-exercises/

 

Sep –  17th: B-52H 60-0009 (5 BW / 69 BS) – departed 18th September

 

darren@raf-fairford.co.uk