On Sunday 8 June 2014 a pair of B-2 Spirits arrived at RAF Fairford for a short term training deployment. Gordon Jones reports for GAR.
© Gordon Jones – globalaviationresource.com
On Sunday 8 June 2014 US Strategic Command deployed a pair of B-2 Spirits from the 509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri to RAF Fairford to conduct training missions with both US and allied forces in Europe. The Spirit of Louisiana and the Spirit of Indiana arrived as DEATH 11 and DEATH 12 respectively and are expected to only be deployed for a short period of time.
Whilst RAF Fairford is a B-2 forward operating base, one of only three, deployments are a rare event with the last being in 2008. With its ability to fly very long missions, the current record is 44.3 hours, the B-2 usually operates from its home base as it did for operations most recently over Libya.
Currently RAF Fairford is also hosting three B-52s that are taking part in the Sabre Strike exercise due to start on Monday 9 June 2014.
The pictures of the B2’s were spectacular! Thank you very much for those!