Over the course of Sunday, a dozen B-1B bombers took off from Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairford in western England and returned home to the United States. Their departure abruptly ended the base’s role as a launching pad for U.S. strikes against Iran, which began on February 28.
The base, located approximately 100 miles west of London, is the US Air Force’s only European airfield for heavy bombers and a key forward operating site for deployed bombers.
Over the past two weeks, six people suspected of “terrorism” have been arrested. They were all released on bail.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that the suicide bombers were moved because “there were threats” that he said were linked to Iran. “So we moved them a little bit, not very far,” he told reporters at the White House.
Hours earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio downplayed any links to the alleged plot, saying it was “not unusual to see rotations occurring” and that he had confidence in the security of US bases.
What happened at RAF Fairford?
On September 27, police arrested five men suspected of plotting to plant explosives near Fairford, United Kingdom. They were released on bail a day later.
Investigators found gasoline but no explosive devices in their vans, although British authorities say the men are still under investigation. On Thursday, police arrested a 25-year-old British-Iranian national in London on suspicion of planning an attack on the airbase. He was also released on bail on October 3.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham suggested that “Iran played a role” in the alleged plot, but refused to give details. Iran has denied any such plans and summoned the British ambassador to Tehran to protest the arrests.
What bombers does the United States have?
The US Air Force uses three types of bombers and a fourth is in preparation.
The B-52 Stratofortress is the oldest. The B-52H model currently in service was built in the early 1960s. With a wingspan of 56 meters (185 feet), it is the largest American bomber and can carry around 31 tons of weapons, including nuclear bombs and cruise missiles.
The Lancer B-1Bentered service in the mid-1980s, is the fastest of the three. It can reach 1.2 times the speed of sound and has a pivoting wing that moves backward for high-speed flight. It carries the largest conventional payload, around 34 tons, but no longer carries nuclear weapons. These are the planes that left Fairford.
The B-2 spirit is a flying-wing stealth bomber designed to evade air defenses. Only 20 examples were built, of which 19 remain in service. It can carry nuclear and conventional weapons, including the 13,600 kg (30,000 lb) “bunker buster” bomb used in US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in June 2025.
The B-21 fightera smaller stealth bomber, is still in flight testing and is scheduled for delivery in 2027. Over the next fifteen years, the Air Force plans to replace the B-1B and B-2, leaving a future fleet of upgraded B-21s and B-52s.
Where do these bombers come from?
All American bombers are permanently based in the United States, at five main air bases:
- B-52H: Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana and Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota
- B-1B: Dyess Air Force Base in Texas and Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota
- B-2: Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri
- B-21: Due to arrive in Ellsworth, South Dakota in 2027
All of these bases feature long and wide runways, typically exceeding 10,000 feet (3,048 meters).
This makes bomber landing strips as long as those at a major international airport. What limits the area where bombers can operate is not the tarmac but security, weapons storage and support.
For missions abroad, the United States routes its bombers to a handful of forward bases. Other significant overseas operational sites include Andersen Air Force Base in Guam and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.
Beyond that, the Air Force sends small groups of bombers to allied air bases for a few weeks at a time, in what it calls Bomber Task Force deployments. Recent rotations include B-52s to Moron, Spain, B-1Bs to Orland, Norway and Misawa, Japan, and B-52s to Tindal in northern Australia, arriving in September.
Bombers can also launch strike missions from the United States using in-flight refueling. Bomber missions during the US-Israeli war against Iran took more than 30 hours round trip. Each group of three bombers needed six to nine tanker planes to refuel en route.
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