RAF Typhoons and Voyager Tanker Join U.S. Air Force’s B-52H Stratofortress Over Arabian Peninsula in BTF Mission

The flight consisted of two B-52Hs, two RAF Typhoon FGR4s and one Voyager aerial refueling aircraft. The bombers are involved in their first deployment in the Middle East since 2019, launched to deter Iran and its proxies.

The conflict in the Middle East is drawing some serious flights of the U.S. Air Force’s B-52H Stratofortress over the region, as Nov. 18, 2024 saw two B-52Hs flying with two RAF (Royal Air Force) Eurofighter Typhoons and a Voyager tanker over the Arabian Peninsula. The bombers demonstrated the U.S. “commitment to regional security and deterrence alongside our allies,” AFCENT (Air Force Central Command) said on X.

It appears, however, that the bombers are not part of the current BTF-E (Bomber Task Force Europe) mission hosted in the United Kingdom at RAF Fairford, as AFCENT mentioned that the bombers were from Minot AFB, North Dakota. The U.S. Air Force has previously announced the new BTF mission on Nov. 1, 2024, with the aircraft coming from Barksdale AFB, Louisiana.

While previous BTF deployments in Europe have seen the aircraft conduct flights also over Africa and the Middle East, this time the aircraft come from another BTF mission “closer to the action.” In fact, on Nov. 3, the U.S. Air Force deployed B-52s to the Middle East for the first time since 2019.

The U.S. CENTCOM (Central Command) said the flight took place within its AOR (Area of Responsibility). The U.K.’s Permanent Joint Headquarters, meanwhile, said the Typhoons “conducted escort duties of mighty B-52s” during a BTF sortie. The flight also represents the active and ‘hot’ flashpoint in West Asia, with the war in Gaza and Israeli military exchanges with Iran and Hezbollah.

U.S. B-52 Stratofortress bombers from Minot Air Force Base integrated with RAF and regional partners over the Arabian Peninsula during a bomber task force mission on Nov 18th. These missions demonstrate our commitment to regional security and deterrence alongside our allies.🌍✈️ pic.twitter.com/kZaWY7sH3n

— US AFCENT (@USAFCENT) November 22, 2024

USAF B-52s with RAF Typhoons

Images showed a total of five aircraft, including the two B-52Hs, the two RAF Typhoon FGR4s and the Voyager tanker. While not specified, the Voyager and the two Typhoons are operating from RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus, as the latter are carrying their standard loadout used for Operation Shader.

The Typhoons are carrying, in fact, a payload which includes two Paveway IV bombs on the inner-most hardpoint; a Litening III laser designator pod on the centerline station; two ASRAAMs (Advanced Short-Range Air-to-Air Missile) on the outermost pylon; two Meteor BVRAAM (Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile).

The weapons show yellow tapes, identifying them as live munitions. As per standard military practice, a blue tape is used to designate a dummy or training round. It is unclear if the B-52s were armed with live weapons, although it is likely.

New Bomber Task Force in the Middle East

While AFCENT only identified the B-52’s home base of Minot AFB, two of the pictures shared on DVIDS (Defense Visual Information Distribution Service) specify the unit as the 69th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron (69 EBS). This unit’s home base is indeed Minot AFB. Two shots from inside the cockpit described the pilots performing pre-flight checks within the U.S. CENTCOM AOR, but the location has been mentioned as “undisclosed.”

The service deployed six bombers to the region without announcing where they would be based. However, cargo aircraft originating from Minot were observed arriving at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, the largest U.S. base in the area which also hosted B-52s in the past.

One of the photographs from inside the cockpit through the windshield showed two other B-52s on the tarmac, without showing features which could identify the base. However, the bombers have been shown in satellite photos of Al Udeid, parked in two rows as seen from the cockpit photos.

All six USAF B-52 bombers at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. Great image from today via our friends at @planet pic.twitter.com/qu8dmbgAgn

— Hans Kristensen (also on Bluesky) (@nukestrat) November 5, 2024

The bombers were deployed in the region to deter Iran and its proxies, marking their first return to a Middle Eastern base since 2019. Additional aircraft deployed in the same timeframe are a squadron of F-15E Strike Eagles and an unspecified number of tankers.

This #PhoonFriday we’re soaring with our @usairforce cousins in the Middle East.✈️@RoyalAirForce Typhoons conducted escort duties of mighty B-52’s during a Bomber Task Force sortie, demonstrating & strengthening our commitment to global security & stability. @DefenceHQ 💪 pic.twitter.com/rCQZp4yVnL

— Defence Operations 🇬🇧 (@DefenceOps) November 22, 2024

Previous strategic bomer and BTF flights in Middle East

As mentioned earlier, this was not the first time B-52s have integrated with U.S. and Coalition Forces while flying over the Middle East. On Jun. 12 and Jun. 14, 2024, B-52Hs from Minot’s 69 EBS flew “throughout the Middle East…including passes through the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf,” in the Central Command AOR (Area of Responsibility), a release said.

This “cross-combatant” mission, which integrated Allies across the U.S. European Command, Africa Command and Central Command, involved “integration with MC-130J Commando II aircraft” operated by the Special Operations Command, beside “fighter aircraft from several coalition nations.” Interestingly, that release also went on to add how the MC-130J Commando II had recently conducted “familiarization training for the rapid employment of palletized effects” from cargo aircraft on Mar. 5, 2024, as per a release from the U.S. Special Operations Command Central.

That test took place in Southwest Asia in the CENTCOM’s AOR, involving “orientations and static on-load/off-load procedure familiarization for the rapid employment of palletized movements with JASSM cradles from an MC-130J Commando II combat transport aircraft.”

“Palletized effects” refers to the AFRL’s (Air Force Research Laboratory) Rapid Dragon concept, which involves employing traditional transport planes like the C-17 or the MC-130J/C-130J as “arsenal planes” to release volleys of AGM-158 JASSM (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile) from their cargo bays.

Then, on Jul. 25, 2024, a B-52H Stratofortress from Barksdale’s 2 BW again “integrated with U.S. Marine Corps”, “coalition forces” and “other regional partners” during the Maritime Fire Support Symposium, flying a 32-hour-long mission from Romania enroute to its home at Barksdale. The B-52H was returning to Barksdale following a successful deployment to EUCOM and CENTCOM AORs.

Earlier, a massive maneuver on Mar. 29, 2022 saw a B-52H, again from Minot AFB’s 5 BW, and two F-22 Raptors taking off from RAF Fairford, joining Allied aircraft on a “presence patrol mission” across the CENTCOM’s AOR. From RAF Fairford, the B-52H flew over the East Mediterranean, Arabian Peninsula and the Red Sea before departing the region.

Ninth Air Force commander Lt. Gen. Greg Guillot said in the release back then that an “unprecedented nine countries” flew with the non-stop B-52 mission, including fighter escorts from the Royal Air Force and regional partner nations. “The flow of airpower throughout the theater during this presence patrol was significant due to the addition of F-22s, which entered the US CENTCOM AOR in February of that year,” the statement added.