The Big Ugly Fellas arrive in UK: US B52 long-range bombers land in Britain to join Nato mission after practising airstrikes with British forward controllers as Putin’s forces continue to menace Ukraine
- The B-52 Stratofortress aircrafts – together with support equipment – arrived at RAF Fairford, Gloucs, today
- US said they were there for a ‘long-planned’ Bomber Task Force mission with its partners in Europe
- It coincides with Russia continuing to mass near Ukraine and an intensification of a war of words
- Boris Johnson ‘stakes are very high’ as he urged Russia to back away from a ‘disastrous’ Ukraine invasion
Bombers in the US’s flying forces jetted into RAF Fairford this morning in a thinly-veiled show of strength as Russia continued to mass near Ukraine.
The B-52 Stratofortress aircrafts – together with support equipment – arrived at the Gloucestershire grounds this morning.
They were accompanied by officers and personnel from America’s 5th Bomb Wing from Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota.
Plane spotters were in raptures as the giant metal aircraft – nicknamed BUFFs for Big Ugly Fat Fellas – swooped down onto the tarmac to land.
Officially the £62million machines are here for a Bomber Task Force mission, a joint practice the US said had been ‘long planned’.
But the sight of them – and their long-range bombing capability – may help focus the mind of Vladimir Putin as Russian forces mass outside the Ukraine border.
Photographers underneath a United States Air Force (USAF) B-52 bomber during landing at RAF Fairford earlier this morning
A B-52 bomber lands at RAF Fairford, as tensions remain high over the build-up of Russian forces near the border with Ukraine
The flying metal behemoths were originally created to carry nukes for Cold War deterrent missions but have been upgraded
Earlier today Boris Johnson warned Europe faces the ‘most dangerous moment for decades’ and the ‘stakes are very high’ as he urged Russia to back away from a ‘disastrous’ Ukraine invasion.
At a joint press conference with Nato general secretary Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels, the PM said he did not believe Vladimir Putin had made a final decision on whether to send troops over the border.
But Mr Johnson admitted the signs were not good, insisting that Mr Putin will face a strong response if he does go ahead.
The B-52s at Fairhead were joined by the Lockheed U-2, nicknamed the Dragon Lady after its CIA codename.
The planes were initially used by the CIA, first flown in 1955 during the Cold War and for top-secret missions over the Soviet Union, China, Vietnam and Cuba.
They feature a 63ft-long thin fuselage, two high-aspect, un-swept glider-like wings, and a powerful engine which is carefully designed to keep the plane higher than 70,000ft.
U-2 Spy plane has taken off from from RAF Fairford, Gloustershire, today on a mission, its objectives are currently unknown
The Lockheed U-2, nicknamed the Dragon Lady after its CIA codename, were initially used by the CIA, first flown in 1955
Rhe £62million B-52 machines are here for a Bomber Task Force mission, a joint practice the US said had been ‘long planned’.
The surveillance plane is one of just a few aircraft models that have served the United States Air Force for more than 50 years, with this year marking the 66th anniversary of its first flight.
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a strategic bomber and is capable of carrying up to 70,000 pounds worth of weapons.
It was created to carry nukes for Cold War deterrent missions but have been upgraded to become a modern military giant.
The US Air Force said in a statement: ‘B-52 Stratofortress aircraft, support equipment, and personnel from the 5th Bomb Wing, Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, arrived at RAF Fariford, England, today to execute the long-planned Bomber Task Force mission, a regularly scheduled U.S. European Command and U.S. Strategic Command joint mission series.
‘En route to RAF Fairford, U.S. Bomber Aircraft integrated with British Typhoon aircraft and Portuguese F-16s currently assigned to NATO’s Icelandic Air Policing mission.
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a strategic bomber and is capable of carrying up to 70,000 pounds worth of weapons
The B-52 is powered by 8 turbofan engines manufactured by Pratt & Whitney capable of producing 17,000 pounds of thrust
Each B-52 has a fuel capacity of 312,197 pounds and the plane is a subsonic aircraft that can reach speeds of 650mph
‘Bomber aircraft also integrated with British Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTAC) to conduct bilateral Close Air Support training.
‘The mission focused on enhancing readiness and interoperability for the controllers responsible for coordinating airstrikes to support ground forces.
‘Regularly integrating with our allies improves our cooperation and operational capacity, capability and interoperability.
‘Occurring since 2018, bomber rotations through Europe maintain our readiness to execute a wide variety of missions across two continents, sustaining peace through deterrence.’
The B-52 Stratofortress: America’s long-range strategic bomber
A US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress heavy bomber drops bombs in this undated file photo
The United States Air Force currently has 76 B-52 Stratofortress bombers in service today.
Designed and built by the Seattle-based Boeing Company, the B-52 is a long-range strategic bomber that has been used by the Air Force since the 1950s.
It is capable of carrying up to 70,000 pounds of weapons while flying at a combat range of more than 8,800 miles without aerial refueling.
This heavy bomber is powered by 8 turbofan engines manufactured by Pratt & Whitney.
Each engine is capable of producing 17,000 pounds of thrust to propel the plane forward in the air.
The B-52 also boasts a wingspan of 185ft. Each aircraft has a length measuring 159ft4in.
The plane stands at a height of 40ft8in.
The aircraft weighs approximately 185,000 pounds. It can take off at a maximum weight of 488,000 pounds.
To fly its long-range bombing missions, it needs fuel – a lot of it.
Each B-52 has a fuel capacity of 312,197 pounds.
The plane is a subsonic aircraft that can reach speeds of 650mph.
It can also fly at a top altitude of 50,000ft.
Source: Boeing Company
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