Air Force Global Strike Command shows deterrence

As the annual Russian strategic nuclear forces exercise Grom-2020 keeps going, US's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) shows off multiple bombers globally.

On 6 December 2020, one USAF B-1B Lancer, callsign "TRIAL12", departed Ellsworth AFB (SD) enroute to Andersen AFB (Guam). Strikingly, "TRIAL12" flew straight to the Bering Sea and the Russian Kamchatka Peninsula before heading in southwestern direction towards Guam.

With this latest B-1B having arrived at Andersen, it is expected that the 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron is consisting of three or four Lancers. It seems now that AFGSC is keeping the pace. On 22 November 2020, approximately 200 Airmen and four B-1Bs from the 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron returned to Dyess AFB (TX), as they concluded their Bomber Task Force (BTF) deployment at Andersen.

Last week, on 3 December 2020, the BTF mission in and over Europe occurred over the Barents and Black Seas as two MT coded B-52H Stratofortress bombers, callsigns "CAKE11" and "CAKE12", conducted integration operations with NATO Allies.

The B-52Hs, assigned to Minot Air Force Base’s 5th Bomb Wing (ND), departed Thursday 3 December and flew to designated locations where the bombers integrated with Greek and Norwegian F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft and conducted aerial refueling operations with US and Turkish KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft.

Upon completion of the missions, one aircraft, the 5th BW flagship with serial number 60-0005, immediately returned back to North Dakota. "CAKE11", 69th Bomb Squadron's 61-0001, diverted to RAF Fairford (UK), due to an engine failure. Of note is that last year, also after declaring an egine failure, a Minot B-52H did spent exactly three months on RAF Mildenhall's tarmac before returning home to the Continental United States (CONUS).

Photos: USAF and Kevin Bell / Graphics: Aircraft Spots