The length of deployment for the four USAF B-52Hs currently operating from RAF Fairford has been revealed by NATO.

The jets touched down at the Gloucestershire base on August 18 at the start of a Bomber Task Force deployment. In a statement relating to a sortie over Slovakia the military alliance said the B-52Hs would be “operating alongside Allies across the continent during similar missions for the next two months.”

The aircraft are from the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot AFB, North Dakota and it is the second time this year that the wing has undertaken a deployment to the Gloucestershire base.

US Air Force General James Hecker, USAFE-AFAFRICA and AIRCOM commander said: “…Bomber Task Force missions across Europe provide a great opportunity to improve our combined readiness, promote interoperability and demonstrate our global power projection alongside our Allies. Our ultimate strength in the European area of operations is a joint-force lethality – our ability to train and operate with our Allies and partners as one layered, capable and credible combat team.”