Bomber Task Force (BTF) – Europe

 

It’s reported here that BTF missions were conducted from 2018

2018 ?

2019 (BTF 19-?)

RAF Fairford – 6x B-52H – 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron?

• 61-0013/LA (2 BW / 20 BS) – arr 14/03/19 – dep 05/04/19
• 60-0024 (2 BW / 20 BS) – arr 14/03/19 – dep 06/04/19
• 60-0025/LA (2 BW / 20 BS) – arr 14/03/19 – dep 05/04/19
• 60-0058/LA (2 BW / 20 BS) – arr 15/03/19 – dep 06/04/19
• 60-0032/LA (2 BW / 96 BS) – arr 16/03/19 – dep 05/04/19
• 61-0015/LA ((2 BW / 96 BS) – arr 16/03/19 – dep 06/04/19

Report here 

 

2019 (BTF ??-?)

RAF Fairford – 3x B-2A – 393th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron

• 82-1068/WM (509 BW / 13 BS) – arr 27/08/19 – dep 19/09/19
• 89-0129/WM (509 BW / 13 BS) – arr 27/08/19 – dep 19/09/19
• 82-1071/WM (509 BW / 13 BS) – arr 27/08/19 – dep 19/09/19

 

2019 (BTF 20-1)

RAF Fairford – 4x B-52H – 96th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron

• 61-0006/LA (96 BS / 2 BW) – arr 10/10/19 – dep 10/11/19
• 60-0024 (20 BS / 2 BW) – arr 10/10/19 – dep 12/11/19
• 60-0025/LA (20 BS / 2 BW) – arr 10/10/19 – dep 10/11/19
• 60-0028/LA (96 BS / 2 BW) – arr 10/10/19 – dep 10/11/19

Report here 

2020 (BTF 20-2)

RAF Fairford – 3x B-2A – 110th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron

• 82-1068 (509 BW) – arr 12/03/20 – dep 20/03/20
• 88-0332 (509 BW) – arr 12/03/20 – dep 20/03/20
• 82-1070 (509 BW) – arr 12/03/20 – dep 20/03/20

Report here

 

2020 (BTF 20-4)

RAF Fairford – 6x B-52H – 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron

• 60-0005/MT (23 BS) – arr 22/08/20 – dep 26/09/20
• 60-0007/MT (23 BS) – arr 22/08/20 – dep 26/09/20
• 60-0029/MT (23 BS) – arr 22/08/20 – dep 28/09/20
• 60-0044/MT (23 BS) – arr 22/08 /20- dep 26/09/20
• 60-0056/MT (23 BS) – arr 22/08/20 – dep 26/09/20
• 61-0034/MT (23 BS) – arr 22/08/20 – dep 26/09/20

Report here

2021 (BTF 21-1?)

Ørland Air Force Station, Norway – 4x B-1B – 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron – Arrived 21st / 22nd February 2021? – Departed March 23rd?

• 85-0073/DY (7 BW) – arr ? – dep ?
• 86-0105/DY (7 BW) – arr  ?- dep ?
• 86-0117/DY (7 BW)  – arr  ?- dep ?
• 86-0132/DY (7 BW)  – arr ? – dep ?

 

2021 (BTF ??-?)

Lajes, Portugal – 3x B-2A – 393rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron

• 82-1067 (509 BW) – arr 16/03/21 – dep ?
• 88-0328 (509 BW) – arr 16/03/21 – dep ?
• 89-0129 (509 BW) – arr 16/03/21 – dep ?

 

2021 (BTF 21-3)

Morón Air Base, Spain – 4x B-52H – ?? Expeditionary Bomb Squadron

• 61-0012 (2 BW) – arr 17/05/21  – dep ?
• 61-0015 (2 BW) – arr 17/05/21  – dep ?
• 60-0013 (2 BW) – arr 17/05/21  – dep ?
• 61-0010 (2 BW) – arr 17/05/21  – dep ?

These patches were made for 23rd Bomb Squadron, although they were never deployed to Morón. According to Key Publishing ‘Boeing B-52H Stratofortress’ magazine – The squadron had been preparing to deploy to Morón Air Base in Spain before US Central Command diverted the detachment to Qatar.

 

2021 (BTF ??-?)

Keflavik, Iceland – 3x B-2A – 110th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron

• Serial ? – arr 24/08/21 – dep ?
• Serial ? – arr 24/08/21 – dep ?
• Serial ? – arr 24/08/21 – dep ?

 

2021 (BTF 22-1)

RAF Fairford – 4x B-1B – 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron

• 86-0110 (9 BS) – arr 06/10/21  – dep 14/11/21
• 86-0140 (9 BS) – arr 06/10/21 – dep 15/11/21
• 86-0103 (9 BS) – arr 07/10/21 – dep 15/11/21
• 86-0136 (28 BS) – arr 07/10/21 – dep 14/11/21

Report here

2022 (BTF 22-2)

RAF Fairford – 4x B-52H – 69th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron

• 60-0044 (5 BW / 69 BS) – arr 10/02/22  – dep 15/04/22
• 61-0003 (5 BW / 69 BS) – arr 10/02/22  – dep 15/04/22
• 61-0018 (5 BW / 69 BS) – arr 10/02/22  – dep 19/04/22
• 61-0039 (5 BW / 69 BS) – arr 10/02 /22 – dep 15/04/22

 

2022 (BTF 22-3)

RAF Fairford – 4x B-52H – 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron

• 60-0005 (5 BW / 23 BS) – arr 18/08/22 – dep 21/09/22
• 60-0023 (5 BW / 23 BS) – arr 18/08/22 – dep 21/09/22
• 60-0034 (5 BW / 23 BS) – arr 18/08/22 – dep 21/09/22
• 60-0026 (5 BW / 23 BS) – arr 18/08/22  – dep 21/09/22

 

2023 (BTF 23-2)

Morón Air Base, Spain – 4x B-52H – 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron

60-0034 (5 BW / 23 BS ) – arr 24/02/23 – dep 24/03/23
60-0056 (5BW / 23 BS ) – arr 24/02/23 – dep 24/03/23
60-0026 (5BW / 23 BS ) – arr 24/02/23 – dep 24/03/23
60-0060 (5BW / 23 BS) – arr 24/02/23 – dep 24/03/23

There is a patch produced for BTF 23-1, but unsure whether this is a mistake or the USAF changed the BTF designator after the patch was produced?

 

2023 (BTF 23-3)

RAF Fairford –  4x B-1B – 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron & 345th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron

• 86-0103 (7 BW / 9 BS)  – arr 23/05/23 – dep 27/06/23
• 86-0105 (7 BW / 28 BS) – arr 23/05/23 – dep 27/06/23
• 85-0064 (7 BW / 9 BS) – arr 25/05/23 – dep 26/06/23
• 86-0125 (7 BW / 9 BS)  – arr 25/05/23 – dep 26/06/23

19th June marked the first time a B-1B had landed in Sweden, with 2 aircrafts deployed for 4 days

The 9th EBS are wearing the deployment crest patches from BTF 22-1 and the 345th EBS have this Union Jack variation to their 2018 Fairford deployment patch

 

2023 (BTF 23-4)

Keflavik, Iceland – 3x B-2A – 393rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron

• 82-1070 – arr 13/08/23 – dep ?
• 90-0040 – arr 13/08/23 – dep ?
• 88-0331 – arr 13/08/23 – dep ?

 

August 29th marked the first time a B-2 landed in Norway, with 2 aircrafts hot pit refueling at Ørland Air Base

 

2023 (BTF 24-1)

RAF Fairford –  4x B-1B – 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron

• 86-0107 (7 BW / 28 BS)  – arr 12/10/23 – dep 15/11/23
• 86-0119 (7 BW / 28 BS) – arr 12/10/23 – dep 04/12/23
• 86-0124 (7 BW / 9 BS ) – arr 14/10/23 – dep 10/11/23
• 86-0103 (7 BW / 9 BS ) – arr 14/10/23 – dep 10/11/23

 

 

 

 

2024 (BTF 24-2)

Luleå-Kallax Air Base, Sweden – 2x B-1B – 28th Bomb Wing

• 86-0129 (28 BW)  – arr 23/02/24 – dep 29/02/24
• 86-0137 (28 BW / 37 BS) – arr 23/02/24 – dep 29/02/24

 

2024 (BTF 24-2)

Morón Air Base, Spain – 4x B-1B – 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron

• 85-0061 (7 BW) – arr 24/03/2024 – dep
• 86-0124 (7 BW) – arr 24/03/2024 – dep
• 86-0117 (7 BW) – arr 26/03/2024 – dep
• 86-0125 (7 BW) – arr 26/03/2024 – dep

Two of the B-1Bs departed for Dyess on April 21 and the other two on April 23

This deployment is stated as being ‘the next phase of Bomber Task Force 24-2’, suggesting the February deployment to Sweden was the first phase

B-1B bombers land at Morón as part of Bomber Task Force 24-2  > U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa > Display

 

2024 (BTF 24-3)

RAF Fairford – 4 x B-52H – 69th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron

• 60-0037 (5 BW / 69 BS) – arr 20/05/2024 – dep 20/06/2024
• 61-0018 (5 BW / 69 BS) – arr 20/05/2024 – dep 18/06/2024
• 61-0005 (5 BW / 69 BS) – arr 22/05/2024 – dep 18/06/2024
• 60-0012 (5 BW / 69 BS) – arr 23/05/2024 – dep 20/06/2024

 

 

 

 

2024 (BTF 24-4)

Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base, Romania – 2x B-52H – 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron

This marks the first time U.S. strategic bomber aircraft have operated out of Romania.

• 60-0054 (2 BW / 20 BS) – arr 21/07/2024 – dep 25/07/2024
• 60-0024 (2 BW / 20 BS) – arr 21/07/2024 – dep

 

2024 (BTF 25-1)

RAF Fairford – 4 x B-52H – 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron

• 60-0024 (2 BW / 20 BS) – arr 05/11/2024 – dep 12/12/2024
• 60-0008 (307 BW / 93 BS) – arr 05/11/2024 – dep 12/12/2024
• 61-0010 (307 BW / 343 BS) – arr 07/11/2024 – dep 10/12/2024
• 61-0036 (2 BW / 96 BS) – arr 08/11/2024 – dep 10/12/2024

 

 

 

2025 (BTF 25-2)

RAF Fairford – 4 x B-52H – 69th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron

• 60-0007 (5 BW / 23 BS) – arr 11/02/2025 – dep 17/03/2025
• 60-0023 (5 BW / 23 BS) – arr 11/02/2025 – dep 14/03/2025
• 60-0044 (5 BW / 23 BS) – arr 13/02/2025 – dep 17/03/2025
• 60-0037 (5 BW / 69 BS) – arr 15/02/2025 – dep 14/03/2025

Patches from previous 69th EBS deployments were worn by crews

Maintenance personnel did have this patch produced

 

U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jasmonet Holmes 

 

If you are able to fill in any gaps or have any of my wants for sale please contact me at darren@raf-fairford.co.uk