The sound recording accompanying this article is presented by the Air & Space Forces Association, commemorating and aiding our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Learn further details at afa.org
On March 26, three additional B-1B Lancers touched down at RAF Fairford, elevating the cumulative count of bombers positioned at the U.K. base to 21—marking one of the most substantial bomber assignments in recent times.
Reports from local observers, air traffic control communications, and flight-tracking data indicate that approximately 15 B-1B and six B-52H aircraft are now situated at the base, which is located in southwest Britain. Notably, these 15 B-1s alone constitute a third of the entire operational Lancer contingent still in service.
The U.K. has announced that the U.S. is utilizing Fairford to attack Iranian missile installations. This action represents a primary U.S. aim and one of the objectives the Pentagon has emphasized in its explanation of Operation Epic Fury, which commenced on February 28.
By opting to permit U.S. bombers to employ RAF Fairford, which possesses a lengthy runway apt for such aircraft, the U.K. government’s choice reduces the necessary travel distance for U.S. aircraft by half compared to flights originating from and returning to the continental United States. U.S. bomber assaults have also involved B-2 Spirit bombers, particularly during the initial phase of the campaign.
Lee Hathaway, a local spotter, photographed B-1B bombers landing on March 26 and provided these images to Air & Space Forces Magazine, in addition to photographs of U.S. bombers recently deploying from the base.
The arrival of the three B-1Bs, allocated to Ellsworth Air Force Base, N.D., was similarly recorded by other observers in the vicinity and through open-source flight-tracking data gathered by the Military Air Tracking Alliance.
The sortie employed “Purse” callsigns, and air traffic control communications verified that the trio of aircraft was traveling from the U.S. towards the U.K.
The U.S. military has refused to provide information concerning its resources at RAF Fairford. However, the bombers are readily observable to regional admirers and reporters, who diligently record the landing of more bombers and photograph aircraft departing, occasionally with active ordnance perceptible on the planes or during the embarkation procedure.
There are 44 B-1s within the Air Force’s stock. Only a segment of these are ready for deployment at any specific moment, either for evaluation or upkeep. As of late 2024, the service upheld a 47 percent operational readiness percentage for the aircraft, suggesting that the 15 B-1s stationed at Fairford could constitute a substantial portion of the immediately available fleet.
Although six B-52s, also employed to attack Iran, are situated at Fairford, the B-1 remains the most frequently assigned. It possesses the greatest internal carrying capacity of any U.S. bomber, rendering it perfect for transporting substantial quantities of precision bombs. CENTCOM has indicated that the overwhelming proportion of sorties employ “stand-in” munitions, and Airmen have been photographed arming B-1s with JDAM guided bombs.
B-52s have been seen transporting JASSM-variant long-range missiles, which carry a less potent explosive than the conventional 2,000-pound JDAMs that have long been a preferred ordnance for U.S. bombers in engagements. Sources knowledgeable about the issue informed Air & Space Forces Magazine that U.S. warplanes have released 2,000-pound GBU-31 JDAMs in the confrontation with Iran, in addition to GBU-72 Advanced 5K 5,000-pound precision-guided bombs, though they failed to identify the specific aircraft type that dropped the munitions.
The sound recording accompanying this article is presented by the Air & Space Forces Association, commemorating and aiding our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Learn further details at afa.org