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

Report here

 

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

 

 

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