US BOMBERS ARE BACK (B-52s arrive in Britain!)

Sky News ^ | 3/3/03

[areafiftyone]

American B-52 bombers have begun arriving in Britain, as Iraq claims six civilians were killed and 15 others injured in the latest round of US and British air raids inside the no-fly zone.

The last time the bombers were stationed on British soil was for the attacks on Yugoslavia four years ago.

Once again the long-range B-52s are based at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire.

The first of the huge jets landed just before noon on Monday. About an hour earlier, what appeared to be a U-2 spy plane had taken off. Two transporters aircraft are also at the base.

British military sources say a large group of US warplanes is due in Britain this week, including 14 B-52s.

Peace campaigners witnessed the arrival of the bombers. One commented: "It gives you a feeling like a stone in your throat and an even bigger stone in your heart. This may as well be American soil here."

In the no-fly zones in Iraq, British and American pilots have been launching new raids on Iraqi defences.

Iraq claims that six civilians died and 15 were injured in one of the raids on the city of Basra located in the southern no-fly zone.

Senior Pentagon officials say the strikes have been on ground-to-ground missile systems and multiple launch rockets, which could be used against coalition troops invading Iraq.

But Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon insisted to the Commons that the RAF's planes were acting "entirely in self-defence" within international law.

US and British warplanes have patrolled the northern and southern zones since the end of the 1991 Gulf War. They were set up to protect Kurds and Shia Muslims from persecution.

Officially, the pilots' missions are defensive, attacking surface-to-air missile sites and aircraft in response to Iraqi hostilities.

Experts say an increase in the raids last year heralded America's determination to blitz Saddam's air defences in preparation for war.

Ministry of Defence and US Central Command officials insisted that the additional raids were in response to increased Iraqi aggression against their aircraft.

But analysts pointed to an apparent intention to destroy Iraq's air defences piece by piece, including anything which could be used against an invasion force.

[cake_crumb]

"American B-52 bombers have begun arriving in Britain, as Iraq claims six civilians were killed and 15 others injured in the latest round of US and British air raids inside the no-fly zone."

Yeah, they were baby milk factories disguised as missile batteries and military communications centers. Saddam is rerunning propaganda....the clock has almost run out.

[RightWhale]

"The Constitution," is still seaworthy.

Is ammo for the ship's cannon still being manufactured? The Constitution could be sent to find and destroy the 3 missing Alqaida ships.

[struwwelpeter]

I suspect that only BUFF crews can keep 'em straight.

[Madame Dufarge]

"It gives you a feeling like a stone in your throat and an even bigger stone in your heart.

To complement the rocks in their head.

[Cap Huff]

I know I don't really have a need to know, but I can't help wondering why the B-52's would be based in England. They could make it to Iraq from there, but they'd have to have overflight clearance from uncooperative countries (i.e. Germany and France). Any other route would be a zigzag.

Maybe they are there for other purposes.

[Salgak]

Actually, the oldest combat B-52 dates from 1959. That was the beginning of the production run of the "H-model", the only model of the B-52 still in service. . .

[Salgak]

Nothing too amazing about it. The Buff was DESIGNED for modular upgrade and replacement of subsystems from day one.

And I know of at least one family that has had 4 generations fly the B-52, in its' various models. . .when **I** flew 'em (1984-1989) we had several 3-generation B-52 families. . .

[Stefan Stackhouse]

Maybe they are there for other purposes.

At the rate things are going, bombing runs on Paris and Berlin may soon be in order. . .

[RooRoobird14]

A low-flying Buff can be a scary sight: the wingspan is longer than the fuselage, and the wings are mounted so that that the Buff looks like a giant scary buzzard hovering in the sky (the wings are so long they even flap sometimes--LOL!)

With the black smoke billowing out of the back and the horrendous noise, Buffs are an awesome, ugly thing to behold.

[Salgak]

Logistics. B-52s have been operating out of RAF Fairford for DECADES: we deployed there with my old squadron (the long-since-deactivated 69 BMS) back in the 1980s. The runway is long enough and has sufficient weight capability for heavy B-52 ops. "Heavies" (i.e. B-52/ C-5/ C-17/ KC-10) need far more robust runways than do fighters or other smaller aircraft. It's a simple matter of civil engineering.

Also, it's VISIBLE. There's the psychological effect of American B-52s deploying forward. Even if the REAL raids come out of places like Diego Garcia, with no media presence, no civilian protesters, etc. . .

That's the unclassified, common-sense answers, anyway. . .

[CasearianDaoist]

They fly the Med, I'd bet. The biggest problem is ordnace logistics - they take quite a load. Alot of that is prepositioned in the UK. SOme will no doubt be stationed in Diego Garcia. Note that the DoD has been pretty cagey about announcing heavy bomber assignments. We really do not know what's up.

[RooRoobird14]

When hubby flew at Loring AFB 20+ years ago, it seemed like he had some kind of in-flight emergency every other time he flew. The practice missions were long then (12-14 hours), but were made even longer when there was a mechanical/electrical problem during flight and the crew had to spend extra hours filling out the post-flight paperwork.

Well, as long as the Buffs hang in there, that's fine with me. They're a 10 on the "Scare the cr@p out of the enemy" richter scale.

[Cap Huff]

"Logistics."

That makes sense to me. It is simply intriguing to think about whom we are trying to influence psychologically.

[southland]

I went through a B 52 in 1957 at Roswell, NM. It is an awsome weapon. . It was siting beside a B 36 of which I was a pilot. The B 36 was much larger but obviously constructed differently.
The B 52 still is the best weapon in the Air Force with cruise missles and will be for many years.

[PeoplesRepublicOfWashington]

I used to do field work in NW Wyoming near where SAC had a practice range. Low-flying B52s could be seen frequently. One time one snuck up behind me. Upon turning around to look at it come right at me, looking low enough to touch, it's bomb bay doors opened. I just froze. There wasn't enough time to put my head between my knees and kiss my sweet butt goodbye. It truly was an awesome sight. I remember thinking how glad I was that they and their crew were on my side.

[Semper]

We have to go through with removing Saddam now. If we don't, it will make us look weak and we'll have another 9/11 within weeks.

Bombing Iraq with B-52's will motivate and unite all the radicals throughout the Arab world, thus keeping 9/11 activity going for the rest of this century. Saddam can be removed without bombing Iraq. If someone killed members of your family, would you ignore that and just do nothing? Looking and acting too strong is what brings on suicide attacks.

[Salgak]

Doesn't it, though ?? Probably has something to do with a persistent Frog problem (g)

[AzSteven]

Definitely still flying. There are at least two here in Tucson being used for regular commercial cargo duty.

Particularly good weekend here - saw a DC-3 in flight and also a P-51, a P-47 and a Sabrejet (the fighters were part of an Air Force demonstration team doing a practive session here).

[Remole]

A comment on the strategic value of B-52 bombing. Kenneth Pollack in The Threatening Storm reports that the pin-point bombing done by B-1s etc did not have a whole lot of effect on Iraq's (or Serbia's) commitment to fight. But it was the B-52s, with their heavy bombs, that destroyed the will to fight. Their arrival into Theatre is a good sign.

[El Gato]

Seems he had taken a unexploded SAM through the wing between the #3 and #4 engine.

He got hit right in the engine pod? Or do you mean between pods #3 and #4? :) Still, that must have been quite a site. What other aircraft can shut down 3 or 4 engines and still make it back to base. (Still it would be better if those old TF-33s were replaced by something more modern, with 1 new one replacing 2 old ones, the engines used by 747s would do fine.)