Free Republic

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A grandson and namesake of the man who piloted the massive B-29 that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, during World War II is taking over leadership of the United States' aging fleet of nuclear-capable B-2 stealth bombers. Brig. Gen. Paul W. Tibbets IV takes command of the 509th Bomb Wing during a ceremony Friday at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, replacing Brig. Gen. Glen VanHerck, who has led the wing since February 2014. Tibbets, 48, was previously deputy director for nuclear operations for the U.S. Strategic Command at Offutt Air Force Base in...

A Defense Ministry spokesman said Saturday that two Tu-95 MS long-range strategic bombers successfully test-fired cruise missiles during a 12-hour flight. During the tactical exercise on Friday, the missiles "accurately hit all the targets at the Pemboi testing site in the (Russian) republic of Komi," said Vladimir Drik as quoted by the Interfax news agency. A MiG-31 interceptor jet and a Beriev A-50 Shmel airborne early warning aircraft also participated in the exercise, he said. The two bombers landed at the Ukrainka airfield in Russia's fareastern Amur region. The Tu-95 strategic bomber, which made its debut in 1952, is a...

For nearly 50 years, Strategic Air Command maintained an unsparing, no-nonsense operational culture. After the Air Force disestablished the legendary SAC at the end of the Cold War, however, USAF’s nuclear element slowly drifted away from that exacting standard. It was a mistake, as everyone now will readily, almost compulsively, concede. That certainly goes for Lt. Gen. Frank G. Klotz, the officer chosen to head USAF’s new Global Strike Command. “If there is one unchanging, immutable truth” about the nuclear arsenal, said Klotz, “it is that it demands constant and undivided attention.” That didn’t carry on in the post-SAC years,...

Approximately 150 maintenance Airmen, 2nd Bomb Wing pilots and support members recently returned from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, where they participated in the 10-day Exercise Red Flag-Alaska. The exercise is designed to provide realistic and demanding air-combat training to flying unit members from across the Air Force, Department of Defense and Allied nations. "Everyone who participates (in the exercise) benefits greatly from the training," said Maj. Thomas Aranda, the 96th Bomb Squadron assistant director of operations. "The aviators enjoy some of the most realistic air-combat training available and the maintainers push the edge of the envelope by generating combat...

-- Russia is increasingly flexing its military muscles by penetrating Western airspace. European defense officials have been worried about an increasing number of Russian bombers entering Western airspace. A pair of Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack bombers -- the largest jet-powered combat aircraft ever built, capable of carrying nuclear missiles -- last month entered British airspace over Northern Scotland, Deutsche Welle reports. Two Tornado fighter jets from the British air force intercepted the supersonic bombers, accompanying them for four hours until they left British airspace. Similar incidents have occurred in recent years; London has said Russian planes have penetrated British airspace more...

In the most recent reported incident, two Tu160 Blackjack bombers, capable of travelling at 2,220kmph and carrying up to almost 40,000kg of ordnance including either cruise or short-range nuclear missiles, infiltrated British airspace over Northern Scotland on March 10. In this case, the Tu160s were intercepted by two RAF Tornado F3 fighters and, after a four hour stand-off, the Russian long-range bombers eventually left the borders of UK airspace and the RAF planes returned to base. The incident over Stornaway was far from an isolated case. Defense analysts have been recording a steady increase in airspace violations by Russian military...

Russia has carried out a series of efficiency drills for Tu-95MS Bear strategic bombers, an Air Force spokesman has said. Lt. Col. Vladimir Drik said the flights were conducted in poor weather conditions over the Arctic from air bases in Engels in the Volga region and Ryazan located in central Russia. "During three-day exercises, Tu-95MS Bear strategic bombers and Il-78 aerial tankers practiced various types of flight drills, including in-flight refueling," Ria Novosti quoted him as saying. Russia resumed strategic bomber patrol flights over the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic oceans in August 2007, following an order from then-President Vladimir Putin,...

The number of strategic bombers performing routine patrols could be doubled if the Russian General Staff makes such a decision, the commander of Russia's strategic aviation said Tuesday. Russia resumed strategic bomber patrol flights over the Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic oceans, the Black Sea and along the borders of the Commonwealth of Independent States in August 2007, following an order from then-president Vladimir Putin. "As a rule, up to four strategic bombers perform patrol flights simultaneously. However, under specific circumstances and on orders from the General Staff, their number could be increased to up to eight aircraft," Maj. Gen. Anatoly...

Russia’s Strategic Aviation to Conduct Major Exercises Strategic bombers of Russian Air Forces are to conduct major exercises with launching cruise missiles and mid-air refueling, RIA News agency says with reference to Alexander Drobyshevsky, spokesman of Russian Air Forces. Aviation is to try new crews during the exercises. “Over 50 percent of the participants are young pilots,” said Drobyshevsky. Tu-160 and Tu-95 bombers will shoot cruise missiles at northern firing grounds, and Tu-22M3 are to practice bomb-release. Some of the tasks, including mid-air refueling, are to be carried out at night. Exercises of the 37th air army of Russian Air...