{"id":137789,"date":"2026-03-27T20:31:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-27T15:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/?p=137789"},"modified":"2026-03-27T19:00:27","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T13:30:27","slug":"21-us-supersonic-bombers-now-at-raf-fairford","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/27\/21-us-supersonic-bombers-now-at-raf-fairford\/","title":{"rendered":"21 US Most Feared Supersonic Bombers in the World Now at RAF Fairford"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

RAF FAIRFORD, UK\u2014<\/strong> Three additional B-1B (RS) Lancer bombers arrived at RAF Fairford (EGVA) on March 26, 2026, raising the total number of U.S. bombers stationed at the Gloucestershire base to 21. The deployment now stands as one of the largest forward bomber concentrations in recent American military history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The buildup is directly tied to Operation Epic Fury, the U.S.-led campaign that began on February 28, 2026, targeting Iranian missile facilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The U.S. Air Force<\/a> is now operating 15 B-1B (RS) Lancers and six B-52H (BUFF) Stratofortresses from RAF Fairford (EGVA), a base in southwest Britain that serves as the only dedicated U.S. heavy bomber forward operating location in Europe, Air and Space Forces<\/a> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo: Air Force Museum<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Record Bomber Buildup at a British Base<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The three B-1Bs that arrived on March 26 were assigned to Ellsworth Air Force Base in North Dakota and used the callsign “PURSE” during their transatlantic flight. Their arrival was confirmed by local spotters, air traffic control communications, and open-source flight-tracking data collected by the Military Air Tracking Alliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 15 B-1Bs currently at Fairford represent roughly one-third of the entire Lancer fleet still in service. With the Air Force maintaining a 47 percent mission-capable rate for the B-1B as of late 2024, the aircraft present at Fairford could account for a significant majority of the operationally available fleet at any given time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The total B-1B inventory stands at 44 aircraft, but not all are available for active operations at once due to maintenance cycles and testing requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Some longer distance B-1 watching today from home! Three new Ellsworth B-1s arrived as PURSE Flt and two B-1s returned to Fairford as MAXIE Flt. pic.twitter.com\/wxTwW2PIFY<\/a><\/p>— Saint1 (@Saint1Mil) March 26, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote>