Air Force B-52H Stratofortress crews assigned to the 2nd Bomb Wing at Louisiana's Barksdale Air Force Base completed a "presence patrol" in the Middle East this week.

According to U.S. Central Command, on Wednesday the bomber aircrews integrated with air operations centers and several other aircraft for a "long-range, short-duration mission" intended to demonstrate the U.S. military's ability to rapidly deploy air power anywhere in the world.

This is the third such mission involving B-52s this month, following one on Jan. 8 and another nine days later.

"The United States does not seek conflict, but continues to be postured and committed to respond to any contingency around the world," said Central Command's press release on the patrol.

The Stratofortress is a long-range, heavy bomber that can fly at high subsonic speeds at altitudes up to 50,000 feet carrying a wide variety of precision guided ordnance.

This month's mission continues a regular showing of force in the area, as the aircraft were also in the Middle East several times at the end of last year.

In December, two U.S. B-52H Stratofortresses assigned to Barksdale's 2nd Bomb Wing flew a show-of-force mission in the Persian Gulf intended to deter attacks from Iran.

Before that, in November, two U.S. Stratofortress aircrews assigned to the 5th Bomb Wing, Minot Air Force Base, N.D., flew through the Middle East in a short-term mission.

Related Links
Aerospace News at SpaceMart.com

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Greece, France sign warplane deal in message to Turkey
Athens (AFP) Jan 25, 2021
Greece and France signed a 2.5-billion-euro ($3 billion) warplane deal on Monday as part of a burgeoning arms programme to counter Turkish challenges in the eastern Mediterranean. France has strongly backed Greece in a standoff with Turkey over natural gas resources and naval influence in the waters off their respective coasts. The deal will see Greece buying 18 Rafale jets, 12 of them used, made by French firm Dassault to bolster its forces during their regular mid-air skirmishes with Turkish p ... read more