(U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Miguel Lara III) Two B-2 Spirit stealth bombers joined B-1B Lancers and B-52H Stratofortresses on Ju...
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| (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Miguel Lara III) |
Two B-2 Spirit stealth bombers joined B-1B Lancers and B-52H Stratofortresses on June 9, 2017, to participate in theater bomber assurance and deterrence operations.
The B-2 Spirit was deployed from Whiteman Air Force Base, Mojave to Royal Air Force Fairford, U.K.
Three B-52Hs from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, and three B-1Bs from Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota, along with approximately 800 Airmen, are currently supporting exercises Saber Strike and Baltic Operations in the U.S. European Theater.
While not actively participating in ongoing regional exercises, the B-2s join the other Air Force Global Strike Command assets in support of recurring bomber assurance and deterrence operations.
U.S. Strategic Command routinely conducts bomber operations across the globe as a demonstration of commitment to collective defense and to integrate with geographic combatant commands operations and activities. This is the first time that all three bomber platforms have been located together in the European theater, and only the second time total in AFGSC history; the first was in Guam in August 2016.
A number of total force Airmen from Whiteman AFB, Missouri, are supporting the B-2 operation. Many, including Kennish, are members of the Missouri Air National Guard's 131st Bomb Wing.
The Guard wing has cleared a number of operational performance evaluations and readiness assessments to obtain full operational capability to perform the strategic bomber mission of the B-2 alongside the active duty 509th Bomb Wing, at home and at Royal Air Force Fairford.
