The United States has deployed additional B-52H Stratofortress bombers to RAF Fairford, bringing the total number of forward-based American heavy bombers in England to 23 as part of the ongoing Operation Epic Fury, according to open-source tracking and analysis by UK Defence Journal Senior Editor Jon.

The latest arrivals include two B-52H aircraft, identified by callsigns “BAZOO51” and “BAZOO52”, adding to a growing force that now includes eight B-52s alongside a larger contingent of B-1B Lancers already operating from the Gloucestershire base, with the deployment forming part of a wider US effort to sustain long-range strike operations linked to ongoing action against Iranian targets.

Operation Epic Fury, launched by U.S. Central Command, is focused on dismantling Iranian military capabilities, including missile infrastructure and associated systems, with long-range bombers playing a central role in delivering large-scale conventional strike options, according to the U.S. Department of War.

RAF Fairford has become a key hub for these operations, with its ability to support all major US strategic bomber types allowing aircraft to conduct missions more efficiently into the Middle East, reducing transit times and enabling sustained sortie generation from Europe.

Recent weeks have seen a steady flow of aircraft into the UK, with earlier deployments of B-1B Lancers followed by B-52 reinforcements, reflecting what appears to be a deliberate scaling of long-range strike capability as the operation continues.

The B-52 Stratofortress remains the backbone of US long-range strike capability, able to carry up to around 70,000 pounds of weapons and operate over distances exceeding 8,800 miles without refuelling, giving it the ability to deliver sustained, high-volume strikes from well outside the immediate theatre.

Operating at high subsonic speeds and with a large payload capacity, the aircraft is designed for endurance and mass firepower, allowing it to deliver a wide mix of conventional munitions while remaining a key part of the US strategic bomber force decades after entering service.

Alongside it, the B-1B Lancer provides a different capability set, designed as a supersonic, variable-sweep wing bomber capable of high-speed penetration and rapid response strike missions, with speeds exceeding 900 mph and a range of more than 7,000 miles when supported by aerial refuelling.

The aircraft carries one of the largest conventional payloads in the US inventory, up to around 75,000 pounds of munitions, and is optimised for flexible strike operations, able to deliver a mix of precision-guided and general-purpose weapons from its internal weapons bays.

George Allison
George Allison
George Allison is the founder and editor of the UK Defence Journal. He holds a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and specialises in naval and cyber security topics. George has appeared on national radio and television to provide commentary on defence and security issues. Twitter: @geoallison
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33 COMMENTS

    • Trump is beyond words my friend, he slangs off European nations publicly like no other president in history… He’s arrogant and definitely power hunger, he threatens to leave NATO, a treaty that has stabilised the north western hemisphere for decades and all because his ego is bruised by no one jumping to attention and joining an ILLEGAL war.

  2. Ah sights like this make me wish we still had the Vulcan
    Yes I know if we did still have them, we would only be able to afford one and that one would only be available one month out of the year, but a man can dream 😌

    • At the rate of how big our “fighters” are getting, I reckon the GCAP might be the spiritual successor to the Vulcan. With the size of the payload bays, we could see a sensible decision to get it certified for B61 Nuclear Bombs or similar sized weapons. Something to keep in a back pocket probably.

        • I don’t think we can afford not to buy shed loads of them plus suddenly the public is more aware of everything else we are lacking.

          Might be time for all the political parties to grow a backbone and commit to defence.

          I think we can exclude Labour for starters plus the nationalist parties.

          Reform is only seriously interested in one issue so hopefully the tories will twig on.

  3. Thought we were just allowing use of facilities for defensive actions? Looks to me like we’re supporting an offensive campaign…

    • You must remember that Starmer is a master at Quantum Politics.
      Imagine a box, inside of which is his policy on support for the US over Iran. Quantum physics suggests that the policy exists in multiple states (eg, defensive only, offensive but for defensive purposes only, offensive and defensive) simultaneously, and will remain so until the lid of the box is removed. At that moment (because it is being viewed) the policy exists in one state only, and that becomes Starmer’s policy for the day. Tomorrow, if the lid is lifted again, the policy it displays could again be anything, and that becomes… etc.
      Starmer keeps all his policies in boxes like this.

  4. defensive action only one assumes.
    I suspect we know nothing about where the ordnance is going.
    Transit time not reduced by the need to fly via Gibraltar, the rest of Europe is not so keen to be involved. Trump really needs some decent advisers.
    Still onwards to Kharg Island, I guess.

  5. Enough is enough. If we’re not careful, the US is going to drag us into this mess. As it is, Iran think we’re complicit by allowing them to use bases in the UK. Are we/Iran supposed to believe that these assets will only be used defensively? Given the current state of the US, I highly doubt we can trust that claim.

    I’ve always been a big supporter of the Anglo-US relationship but I think the time has come for the UK gov’t to put their foot down and say no. How many times can the orange baffoon insult and denigrate us before we say enough is enough?

      • I’ve seen my support and respect for America fall from positive to seriously believing that America is worse than China and as bad as Russia.

        • Agreed Rob. Under Trump the US is certainly an unreliable partner. I’m not sure I would put them quite at the point of Russia and China, just yet, but they’re certainly heading that way.

          • Supporting genocide in Gaza with comments about building a resort on the land cleared of it’s occupants, assassinated the entire government of a country and launched an attack on that country, kidnapped the president of another country, trying to starve Cuba into subservience, murdering people in boats on the high seas, threatening to annex Greenland and Canada, verbally insulting allied leaders on a regular basis, interfereing in the internal politics of allied countries… far, far worse than China and certainly on a par with Russia in my opinion!

    • Neither Trump or the rest of the USA will thank us for supporting US operations, both JD Vance and Trump criticised us for supporting Bushes war.

      Politically and strategically speaking America is a basket case and it’s never going to get better, I love Americans but there is no way for us to square their political choices.

      We need to distance ourselves as much as possible. Europe should potentially think about doing a deal with China now. The Taiwan problem can probably be kicked far enough down the road like Hong Kong that we can find some form of political fudge that’s acceptable to both sides. Call Taiwan a dominion and form a Chinese commonwealth or something. Europe can negotiate with Taiwan and China like trump is doing with Ukraine and Russia. Beyond that I don’t get the impression that China has any interest in expansion except maybe Russian territory in Siberia.

      Starmer has played it about right so far, not supporting US action but not hindering them and backing our regional Allie’s.

      He is falling down on the defense investment side but with UK borrowing costs spiking again there are no easy choices. Other than the basic state pension everything else has been cut to the bone.

      We do have other options though. We can issue war bonds and get our Allie’s like Norway, Singapore and Qatar to buy them. We can make holding a % of them a mandatory requirement for ISA’s and SIPP’s. Start selling them at the post office and I’ll buy them.

      We need to double down on European NATO, maybe even forming a new alliance with in NATO (JEF+Germany,Canda,Poland,France) and make it clear to the USA and China that the NATO Article 6 is now in effect and that the pacific is not a NATO theatre.

      Most of all we need to get full independence or our nuclear capability and actively start developing an alternative to the B61 for NATO militaries.

      Poland,Germany and Sweden have all indicated a willingness to pay for this. Mating Stomshadow with Holbrook, we can have a soemthing ready in a year or two if we want to.

      • Hi Jim,

        “Neither Trump or the rest of the USA will thank us for supporting US operations, both JD Vance and Trump criticised us for supporting Bushes war. Politically and strategically speaking America is a basket case and it’s never going to get better, I love Americans but there is no way for us to square their political choices.”

        I agree, Starmer has had to walk a delicate tightrope for the last 15 months and in so far as I can tell, he’s taken the pragmatic and ‘least worse’ approach to the Dementia Don. For all his many faults, I don’t think I can criticise his approach to Trump.

        Unfortunately, I think the time has come to put our foot down, no more of the polite corrections from the sidelines. When Trump throws his toys out of the pram, Starmer needs to on national TV, rebuke whatever Trumps complaint/rant is and calmly explain that we won’t be doing what he demands.

        I also agree that we need to be doing whatever we can to distance ourselves from US politics and US military equipment as soon as possible, especially on the nuclear side. We need to either develop a British alternative to Trident or we need link up with the French and use their missile technology (although that could potentially leave us in a similar state to that in chich we now find outselves, though I’d argue the French are at least consistent).

    • We are already in the mess, as we can already feel the economic fallout from the closure of the Persian Gulf.
      The Iranian regime views the UK as an enemy, and it will be very hard to change that view.

      Without regime change (probably impossible currently), Iran wins, regardless of its tactical losses.

      Surviving a campaign by two of the world’s most powerful militaries will embolden the Mullahs.
      Straits of Hormuz becomes a lucrative toll booth for Iran.
      Iran will go for a nuke now that they have nothing to lose.

      The world gets more dangerous from this point onwards.

    • Yep I was a firm believer in NATO and that the West Europe and the US should stand together in lockstep to deter China…

      Now with the US degenerating into what I consider an authoritarian and aggressive state as well as untrustworthy state I think we need to treat them as a Neutral. It should be utterly transactional as that’s all the US government now understands.

      I was reading an interesting article which essentially said that the most likely outcome European nations were now planning for was a US pull out of NATO and this was not now even the worst case they are thinking out anymore.. now they consider the worst possible case the US actively working with Russia to undermine Europe…

      My personal view now is that although it’s a bucket of sick of the worst kind the UK needs to move to Geostrategic survival mode.. it needs to throw on the life jacket and that is snuggling up with the EU and as part of a wider EU grouping we need to develop and keep a distance neutral relationship with China, friendly Neutral with India.. whatever relationship we can keep with the USA ( and I’m not sure the US is even now capable of acting a rational neutral partner with Europe) and treat Russia like it’s going to attack at any time…

      The UK cannot be isolated is NATO falls apart.. because Russia will attack if we are isolated.

  6. A lot of defensive carpet bombing missions in a war won weeks ago following the obliteration of the useless enemy. Carry on Emperor Trump and your court of cretins dancing to dear old Benjamin’s deranged schemes.. The world can think itself lucky if this is over by Christmas.

    • S1,
      A proposed estimate of completion by Christmas may prove to be significantly optimistic. Weren’t there similar forecasts re WWI in 1914, and Mad Vlad’s vision for a UKR capitulation in 2022? Quite concerned Pandora’s Box has been reopened … 🤔😱🤞

      • To be honest, On one hand I think Trump in a week or two will walk away and say job done. But putting the 82nd Airborne and bringing in two MEUs, means he might have other plans. Kharg island seems to be on everyone’s lips at the moment, as Iran uses it as the main hub for its oil exports. Something like 90% has been stated, without it Iran’s export revenues will crash. However, The US will have to be very careful, as around 20 to 25% of this oil goes to China. Whilst Saudi also exports another 20% or so to China. With Russia also providing a significant chunk. The Red Sea terminal at Yanbu, could become a target for the Houthis, plus they are talking about attacking shipping going the the Bab al-Mandab Straight again. Which will severely hinder any Saudi exports to the Far East. If China feels an oil pinch that affects it domestically, not to mention its exports, expect to find a Chinese fleet sailing to the Gulf and taking up residence. Especially if Iran offers them oil for next to nothing.

        • Davey,
          Hadn’t even considered the implications of possible ChiCom participation. SitRep: Royal SNAFU and probably headed South VFR direct. 🤔😱

  7. Look, George, I know you are from north of the border, but please. It is the UK, whether those bombers are in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales. We all know where RAF Fairford is; please stop dividing nations in your articles.

    I served in the Armed Forces of the United Kingdom, not England, Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland. It doesn’t matter if I am in Rosyth, Devonport, Chicksands or Edinburgh. It is the UK to many people, both in and out of the Armed Forces. I was proud to serve as a member of the UK Armed Forces, serving the people of the United Kingdom, irrespective of their accents, locations, and views on the country.

    Rant over.

  8. With the current potus threat (and build up of b1’s and b52’s here) are we happy that the US is going to commit war crimes from UK bases, i’m not and it’s time it goes to parliament.

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