A U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber flew alongside the Israeli Air Force and the Royal Air Force over the eastern Mediterranean Sea on Tuesday, a U.S. defense official confirmed to Air & Space Forces Magazine.
🚨🇺🇸USAF BOEING B-52H ☢️
Long range strategic bomber is flying very low in the Mediterranean sea near Israel and Gaza and then headed north back up to RAF Fairford in the UK🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/rmLOrSE72t— Todd Paron🇺🇸🇬🇷🎧👽 (@tparon) March 4, 2025
The B-52 departed from RAF Fairford in the United Kingdom and traversed the Mediterranean before linking up with Israeli and British jets. The joint flight also included Israeli F-35s and F-15s as well as British fighter aircraft.
US flexing.
B-52H Stratofortress bombers from the U.S. Air Force conducted strategic flights over the Middle East, operating within the U.S. Central Command region. pic.twitter.com/i9O3xzww0r
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) November 16, 2024
While the Pentagon has yet to publicly announce the sortie, officials told Al Arabiya that such missions serve as a signal to adversaries that the United States remains committed to defending its interests and allies “whenever and wherever needed.”
The mission marks the third Bomber Task Force deployment to the Middle East since last month. The increased frequency of U.S. bomber missions in the region comes as tensions with Iran escalate.
2 U.S. Air Force B-52H Long-Range Strategic Bombers launched from RAF Fairford, as well as at least 4 KC-135R Aerial-Refueling Tankers launched from RAF Mildenhall, are currently crossing the Mediterranean near Italy, heading in the direction of the Middle East. pic.twitter.com/zwedhBfE1g
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) February 17, 2025
The latest B-52 deployment also follows heightened hostilities involving the Houthis in Yemen, who have resumed targeting U.S. assets after a brief ceasefire.
In recent weeks, the Houthis have launched surface-to-air missiles at U.S. fighter jets and claimed responsibility for downing an MQ-9 Reaper drone, which the U.S. military later confirmed had been lost.
