The United States has positioned 11 heavy bombers at RAF Fairford in the United Kingdom, assembling its largest forward-deployed strike package in Europe as Operation Epic Fury enters its second week.
Three B-52H Stratofortress bombers from the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, landed at the British base on March 9. Flight tracking data confirmed the aircraft crossed the Atlantic under the callsign HOOKY21.
They joined eight B-1B Lancers that arrived between the evening of March 6 and the morning of March 8 in two separate waves. Five B-1Bs remain at Fairford, while three diverted to Ramstein Air Base in Germany after fog prevented landing following a strike mission.
Air traffic control recordings captured one crew reporting hung ordnance, meaning a weapon failed to release during the mission.
RAF Fairford – USAF Bombers ORBAT #FreeIran
— Operation EPIC FURY —As of a short while ago, (and once the 3 diverted to Ramstein move to the UK), RAF Fairford will have the following US Air Force bomber aircraft available for #OperationEpicFury:
B-1B 85-0064 #AE6BD3 (DY)… pic.twitter.com/WPjFT7hujN
— DefenceGeek 🇬🇧 (@DefenceGeek) March 9, 2026
The U.K. Ministry of Defence confirmed Saturday that American forces had begun using Fairford for “specific defensive operations to prevent Iran firing missiles into the region.” Prime Minister Keir Starmer authorized the use of British bases on March 1, describing the purpose as “specific and limited” and focused on destroying Iranian missiles “at source.”
Fairford is the U.S. Air Force’s only dedicated forward operating location for heavy bombers in Europe. Basing aircraft there cuts turnaround times compared to missions originating from the continental United States, enabling a higher tempo of strikes.
At a March 5 briefing at U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) headquarters, Adm. Brad Cooper said the bomber force had struck nearly 200 targets deep inside Iran over the preceding 72 hours, including around Tehran.
The B-1B carries up to 24 AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM), a long-range cruise missile, in its three internal weapons bays. The B-52H has been photographed with 12 JASSMs on external pylons, with capacity for eight more internally using a rotary launcher designed for cruise missiles.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned on March 5 that firepower over Iran is “about to surge dramatically” through “more bomber pulses more frequently.” He added that the U.S. had gained control of Iranian airspace and was transitioning from stand-off weapons to gravity bombs.
Officials in the U.S. Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) refused to verify the arrival of the strike aircraft.
