Strategic Air Command in The United Kingdom - B-52 Deployments

B-52 Deployments

The 93rd Bombardment Wing at Castle AFB, California, had been serving as the Combat Crew Training Unit for the B-47 when it was selected to become the B-52 Combat Crew Training Wing, receiving its first aircraft during mid-1955. The 93rd made a number of record flights with the B-52, including the first non-stop jet flight around the world during January 1957. Five B-52Bs took off from Castle AFB to participate in the record attempt. Three aircraft completed the 23,574 miles trip in an average time of 45.19 hours. Two aircraft diverted, with one landing in Newfoundland and the other at Brize Norton. This aircraft, a B-52B (53–395) named "City of Turlock" was assigned to the 330th Bomb Squadron.

During the Cold War years, B-52s became regular visitors to the United Kingdom, turning up at bases such as Greenham Common and also taking part in RAF Bomber competitions, but were deployed to NATO on an individual basis, not as groups or wings.

In August 1968, Chevelston was put on alert for a possible B-52 deployment during the Czechoslovakian Crisis, but no units or aircraft were deployed there.

In 1977 the USAF announced plans to reactivate Greenham Common to house a squadron of KC-135 Stratotankers, due to a lack of capacity at the KC-135's main UK base, RAF Mildenhall. This led to widespread local opposition, and in 1978 the British Defence Secretary vetoed the plan. Instead, Fairford was reopened and the 11th Strategic Group activated with the aerial refueling mission. The aerial tankers supported B-52s performing airborne alert duty under codenames such as Head Start, Chrome Dome, Hard Head, Round Robin, and Giant Lance, refueling bombers which loitered near points outside the Soviet Union. These tankers would play a major role in supporting the attack on Libya in 1986. The KC-135s were withdrawn in 1990 at the end of the Cold War and the airfield was returned to standby status.

During Operation Desert Storm, B-52s used RAF Fairford as a forward operating base. Fairford was also used during Operation Allied Force in 1999, and during the 2003 Iraq War. During these three conflicts, the Fairford was the home to B-52s, along with the B-1 Lancer, and KC-135 aircraft, and their support personnel. In recent years Fairford has been used by Air Combat Command B-2 Spirit stealth bombers.