B-52 at RAF Fairford

USAF STRATEGIC BOMBERS DEPLOY TO RAF FAIRFORD TO TAKE PART IN EXERCISE AMPLE STRIKE 2017

By Dario Leone
Sep 5 2017
Share this article

Two B-52 and two B-1B strategic bombers are currently deployed to RAF Fairford

On Sep. 1, 2017 one B-52 Stratofortress strategic bomber arrived at RAF Fairford, U.K. to participate in Ample Strike 2017.

The B-52, from the 307th Bomb Wing, Barksdale Air Force Base (AFB), Louisiana, will join two B-1 Lancer aircraft from the 7th Bomb Wing, Dyess AFB, Texas, and one additional B-52 from the 307th BW currently deployed to RAF Fairford.

As told by Staff Sgt. Rachelle Coleman, U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa, in the article Air Force B-52 Bomber arrives in the U.K., all aircraft are participating in Ample Strike, an annual Czech Republic-led exercise, which started Aug. 28 and will run until Sept. 9. The exercise includes 300 total force Airmen and involves 18 countries.

During the exercise the aircraft and participants will conduct day and night operations out of the Czech Republic. This training will serve to improve NATO ally and partner nation interoperability.

This print is available in multiple sizes from AircraftProfilePrints.com – CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS. B-52H Stratofortress 2nd BW, 20th BS, LA/60-0008 “Lucky Lady IV”.

Noteworthy the drill will focus on advanced air and land integration training, as well as strengthening interoperability between NATO ally and partner nations.

From Aug. 28 to Sep. 8, more than 30 aircraft, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from eight Allied nations will provide the close air support (CAS) platforms that the Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs) call to assist Army commanders on the ground.

“The Ample Strike exercise series have earned considerable credit in the past,” said Czech Air Force Colonel Zdenek Bauer, the exercise director. “When we started to plan this year’s event, we had applications from 40 JTAC teams that we needed to accommodate within the limits of the Czech airspace and training areas. Our aim is to offer complex live-fire simulations and demanding scenarios based on extant NATO standards,” Bauer added underlining that this quality depends on the Allies and Partners who make their aircraft available.

USAF Strategic Bombers take part in Ample Strike 2017

Following the exercise, one B-1 and one B-52 will also participate in NATO Air Days in Ostrava, Czech Republic, from Sept. 12-17.

Photo credit: Tech. Sgt. Chrissy Best and Senior Airman Kedesha Pennant / U.S. Air Force

Artwork courtesy of AircraftProfilePrints.com

Additional source: NATO


Share this article

Dario Leone

Dario Leone

Dario Leone is an aviation, defense and military writer. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviation Geek Club” one of the world’s most read military aviation blogs. His writing has appeared in The National Interest and other news media. He has reported from Europe and flown Super Puma and Cougar helicopters with the Swiss Air Force.

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Share this article


Share this article
Share this article

Always up to date! News and offers delivered directly to you!

Get the best aviation news, stories and features from The Aviation Geek Club in our newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.

Error: Contact form not found.


Share this article
Back to top
My Agile Privacy
This website uses technical and profiling cookies. Clicking on "Accept" authorises all profiling cookies. Clicking on "Refuse" or the X will refuse all profiling cookies. By clicking on "Customise" you can select which profiling cookies to activate. We and our selected ad partners can store and/or access information on your device, such as cookies, unique identifiers, browsing data. You can always choose the specific purposes related to profiling by accessing the advertising preferences panel, and you can always withdraw your consent at any time by clicking on "Manage consent" at the bottom of the page.

List of some possible advertising permissions:

You can consult: our list of advertising partners, the Cookie Policy and the Privacy Policy.
Warning: some page functionalities could not work due to your privacy choices