The U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces has announced on Thursday that two U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bombers conducted flights from RAF Fairford, England, to Keflavik Air Base, Iceland, as part of a Bomber Task Force training mission Aug. 28.
“This mission, which involved rapid refueling at Keflavik AB, was conducted with the cooperation of our NATO ally, Iceland,” it said in a news release.
The purpose of the flights was to conduct theater familiarization for aircrew members and to demonstrate U.S. commitment to allies and partners through the global employment of our military forces. U.S. Strategic Command regularly tests and evaluates the readiness of strategic assets to ensure we are able to honor our security commitments.
The B-2 bombers, part of the Bomber Task Force currently deployed to the U.S. European Command area of responsibility, are from the 509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri. The aircraft arrived in theater on Aug. 27, and are temporarily operating out of RAF Fairford. The deployment of strategic bombers to the U.K. helps exercise RAF Fairford as U.S. Air Forces in Europe’s forward operating location for bombers.
Strategic bomber missions enhance the readiness and training necessary to respond to any potential crisis or challenge across the globe.
The B-2 Spirit is a multi-role bomber capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear munitions. A dramatic leap forward in technology, the bomber represents a major milestone in the U.S. bomber modernization program. The B-2 brings massive firepower to bear, in a short time, anywhere on the globe through previously impenetrable defenses.
