The 69th Bomb Squadron board B-52H Stratofortress bomber 'Wham Bam II' is prepared in North Dakota for yesterday's Middle East flight. US Air Force via AP)
The 69th Bomb Squadron board B-52H Stratofortress bomber 'Wham Bam II' is prepared in North Dakota for yesterday's Middle East flight. US Air Force via AP)
The 69th Bomb Squadron board B-52H Stratofortress bomber 'Wham Bam II' is prepared in North Dakota for yesterday's Middle East flight. US Air Force via AP)
The 69th Bomb Squadron board B-52H Stratofortress bomber 'Wham Bam II' is prepared in North Dakota for yesterday's Middle East flight. US Air Force via AP)

US B-52 bombers flanked by multinational fighter escorts fly over Middle East


Ahmed Maher
  • English
  • Arabic

The US Air Force has flown more B-52 bombers over the Middle East, the US Central Command announced on Sunday.

The latest deployment of a pair of B-52H Stratofortress bombers is aimed at deterring aggression and reassuring  allies, reaffirming the US military's commitment to security in the region, CENTCOM said.

Aircrafts from US allies in the region, including Israel, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, accompanied the pair of bombers at different points during the flight, along with US Air Force jet fighters.

The US Air Force routinely moves aircraft and personnel into, out of, and around the US Central Command area of responsibility to meet mission requirements, and to train with regional partners.

Temporary long-range bomber missions to the region began in 2015.

The latest was the fourth of its kind to the Middle East this year, CENTCOM said.

The B-52 can fly 14,000 kilometres on a single fuel load and reach altitudes of 15,200 metres.

The bomber, which dates to the 1950s, has become a symbol of US military power, and has become more sophisticated in its decades of service.

In the past, the aircraft would carry tonnes of unguided bombs, "carpet bombing" enemy target areas under a terrifying barrage of high explosives.

While it still has that capability, a modern B-52 is just as likely to be armed with long range, stealth cruise missiles.

The bombers are usually flanked by sophisticated aircraft such as F-15E Strike Eagles, F-16 Fighting Falcons and KC-135 Stratotankers.

The B-52H missions in the Middle East follow a pattern established by former president Donald Trump.

The US has not said the missions are aimed at Iran, but Iran has criticised them as an act of intimidation.

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Its partners work on technological innovation, new forms of diagnostics and other methods to make a difference in healthcare.
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Where to buy art books in the UAE

There are a number of speciality art bookshops in the UAE.

In Dubai, The Lighthouse at Dubai Design District has a wonderfully curated selection of art and design books. Alserkal Avenue runs a pop-up shop at their A4 space, and host the art-book fair Fully Booked during Art Week in March. The Third Line, also in Alserkal Avenue, has a strong book-publishing arm and sells copies at its gallery. Kinokuniya, at Dubai Mall, has some good offerings within its broad selection, and you never know what you will find at the House of Prose in Jumeirah. Finally, all of Gulf Photo Plus’s photo books are available for sale at their show. 

In Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi has a beautiful selection of catalogues and art books, and Magrudy’s – across the Emirates, but particularly at their NYU Abu Dhabi site – has a great selection in art, fiction and cultural theory.

In Sharjah, the Sharjah Art Museum sells catalogues and art books at its museum shop, and the Sharjah Art Foundation has a bookshop that offers reads on art, theory and cultural history.

Europe’s rearming plan
  • Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
  • Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
  • Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
  • Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
  • Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries

• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.

• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.

• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.

• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.

• For more information visit the library network's website.

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