U.S. Air Force B-52H “Stratofortress” strategic bombers aircrews assigned to the 5th Bomb Wing, successfully completed a presence patrol in the Middle East.
Coalition and regional partner air forces joined two U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortresses, two KC-10 Extenders, and three KC-135s Stratotankerers on a presence patrol mission across the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility on June 8, 2022.
The bomber’s flight originated at Minot Air Force Base (AFB), North Dakota, and flew over the East Mediterranean, Arabian Peninsula, and the Red Sea before departing the region.
“Presence patrols, like today’s, show the United States’ continued commitment and interoperability with our partners in the region,” said Lt. Gen. Greg Guillot, Ninth Air Force (AFCENT) commander. “ These highly coordinated efforts demonstrate our combined ability to provide global reach and joint security to the region.”
The flow of air power throughout the theater during this presence patrol was significant due to the number of joint and regional partners participating and the long duration of the U.S.-based mission, which demonstrated U.S. capabilities to rapidly respond to threats worldwide.
The nine-hour presence patrol flew into the USCENTCOM AOR over the Red Sea and conducted rejoins with partner nations along the flight path before departing the region.
The B-52 and their aircrew are assigned to 5th Bomb Wing, Minot AFB and flew the mission under Air Force Global Strike Command’s bomber task force mission-set.
USCENTCOM, through Ninth Air Force (AFCENT), has facilitated three presence patrol missions in 2022 as a demonstration of the U.S.-led coalition’s commitment to promoting regional stability. The last bomber-led mission across the Central Region involved one B-52 and occurred Mar. 29, 2022.