Sunday, February 28, 2016

B-52s to the AOR


From the Air Force Magazine at http://www.airforcemag.com/DRArchive/Pages/2016/February%202016/February%2026%202016/B-52s-to-the-AOR.aspx

​The Air Force will deploy B-52 Stratofortresses to take the fight to ISIS in the spring, placing bombers back in the US Central Command area of responsibility, service officials said. B-52s will deploy in April to take part in Operation Inherent Resolve, taking the spot of B-1B Lancers that returned back to the US in January, said Gen. Hawk Carlisle, commander of Air Combat Command, at AWS16. Lt. Gen. Charles Brown, the commander of Air Forces Central Command who oversees the air war for Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, said they are working to “bring B-52s to town” to assist in the fight. The coalition has two aircraft carriers deployed to assist in the fight to make up the gap after B-1s left in January to receive large-scale upgrades, and the coalition is planning long in advance to address any gaps in assets available to the coalition, Brown said. Those B-1s will return to the fight in the summer after having been recently upgraded.​