US pulls B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford amid Iran tensions
Theo Al Jazeera
About 12 US B-1B bombers left RAF Fairford for the United States on Sunday, ending the British base's role in airstrikes against Iran that began on 28 February. President Trump linked the move to unspecified threats tied to Iran, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the rotation routine.
On Sunday, about 12 B-1B bombers took off from Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairford in western England and flew back to the United States. The sudden withdrawal ends the base's role in airstrikes targeting Iran, which began on 28 February.
RAF Fairford, about 160km west of London, is the US Air Force's only European airfield for heavy bombers and a key forward operating location for deployed bombers.
Over the past two weeks, six people have been arrested on allegations related to "terrorism". All were later released on bail.
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that the bombers were moved because "there were some threats", which he linked to Iran. "So we moved them a little bit, not too far," he told reporters at the White House.
Hours earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio played down any connection to the alleged plot, saying "rotations happen, that's not unusual" and that he was confident in the security of US bases.
What happened at RAF Fairford?
On 27 September, police arrested five men on suspicion of plotting to plant explosives near Fairford. They were released on bail a day later. Investigators found petrol but no explosive devices in the men's vehicles, though British officials said they remained under investigation.
On Thursday, police arrested a 25-year-old man with dual British-Iranian nationality in London on suspicion of plotting to attack an air base. He was also released on bail on 3 October.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said "Iran has some involvement" in the alleged plot but declined to provide details. Iran denies any such plot and has summoned the British ambassador in Tehran to protest the arrests.
What bombers does the US have?
The US Air Force operates three types of bombers, with a fourth in the pipeline.
The B-52 Stratofortress is the oldest. The B-52H version now in service was built in the early 1960s. With a wingspan of 56 metres, it is America's largest bomber and can carry about 31 tonnes of weapons, including nuclear bombs and cruise missiles.
The B-1B Lancer, in service since the mid-1980s, is the fastest of the three. It can reach 1.2 times the speed of sound and has variable-sweep wings for high-speed flight. It carries the largest conventional weapons payload, about 34 tonnes, but no longer carries nuclear weapons. These are the aircraft that left Fairford.
The B-2 Spirit is a flying-wing stealth bomber designed to penetrate air-defence systems. Only 20 were built, of which 19 remain in service. It can carry both nuclear and conventional weapons, including the 13,600kg "bunker-buster" bomb used in US airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities in June 2025.
The B-21 Raider, a smaller stealth bomber, is still in flight testing and is expected to be delivered in 2027. Over the next 15 years, the US Air Force plans to replace the B-1B and B-2, moving toward a fleet of B-21s and upgraded B-52s.
Where do these bombers fly from?
All US 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: Expected at Ellsworth in South Dakota in 2027.
All these bases have long, wide runways, usually exceeding 3,048 metres. That makes bomber runways comparable in length to those at a major international airport. The limiting factor for where bombers can operate is not the runway surface but security, weapons storage and supporting logistics.
For overseas missions, the US rotates bombers through a number of forward bases. Other key overseas operating locations include Andersen Air Force Base on Guam and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.
Beyond these, the US Air Force sends small groups of bombers to allied bases for a few weeks at a time under so-called Bomber Task Force deployments. Recent rotations include B-52s at Moron in Spain, B-1Bs at Orland in Norway and Misawa in Japan, and B-52s at Tindal in northern Australia, where they arrived in September.
Bombers can also carry out strike missions from the United States with the support of aerial refuelling. Bomber missions in the US-Israel war against Iran lasted more than 30 hours round trip. Each group of three bombers requires six to nine tanker aircraft to refuel along the way.
