Synopsis
Protecting the Alliance is no small feat – and a job that requires thousands of troops, assets, skills and expertise from across the Alliance, which all together contribute to keeping our people safe. Part of this feat is taken on by the biggest bomber planes in NATO’s arsenal – the B52s – which are keeping watch over Europe from an airbase in the United Kingdom. These massive planes from the US Air Force are stationed at RAF Fairford airbase as part of Bomber Task Force Europe, a mission that sees them deployed to Europe on a rotational basis. These bombers are slower and less manoeuvrable than NATO’s strike fighters, but they carry the kind of firepower that can deter would-be aggressors through sheer presence alone. During their deployment, the bomber crews learn how to fly through European airspace and work more effectively with Allied forces, both in the air and on the ground. Plus, for crew members who have never been to Europe before, the training missions offer an opportunity to look out the window, gaze down upon new landscapes and reflect on the importance of an enduring defensive alliance.
Transcript
—VOICEOVER IN ENGLISH-- They’re the largest aircraft defending NATO. Based in the United Kingdom, they’re able to fly anywhere in Europe in a matter of hours. They’re the heavy bombers, and they’re ready to protect the Alliance. — TEXT ON SCREEN — THE HEAVIES —VOICEOVER IN ENGLISH-- Fairford Airbase, England. Six in the morning. Dawn is just beginning to break, but these US Air Force crew members with Bomber Task Force Europe have been up for hours preparing for a mission that will take them over Eastern Europe where they’ll practise supporting Allied ground forces. For them, it’s just another Monday. —SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH— COL D. Landon Phillips, 501st Combat Support Wing ‘The mission of the Bomber Task Force is to provide deterrence and defence, to demonstrate that capability to all our partners and Allies across Europe. And then also to integrate with those partners and Allies through a series of missions throughout the time of their deployment.” —SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH— LT COL Joseph Cangealose 69th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron ‘Ultimately, when we fly with those NATO Allies and partners, we increase the strength of our assurance to the Allies, and we send a powerful message of deterrence to our adversaries.’ —VOICEOVER IN ENGLISH-- The US Air Force has deployed heavy bombers to Europe since 2018. Often, they send the B-52 Stratofortress, one of the longest-serving and most reliable aircraft in NATO’s arsenal. Its crews affectionately call it the BUFF – Big Ugly Fat Fella. But what it lacks in looks, it makes up for in endurance. The B-52 can fly marathon, globe-spanning missions that begin and end in the United States. Still, being deployed to Europe has distinct advantages. —SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH— COL D. Landon Phillips, 501st Combat Support Wing ‘Obviously, we’re cutting down the sortie length to fly from the United States, to do it right here from Fairford. This forward location allows them to plan with those other nations, be it Norway or the UK or whoever else we’re flying with.’ —VOICEOVER IN ENGLISH-- Today’s mission will see the B-52s practise supporting ground troops in Poland, Romania and Bulgaria, before returning home via Southern Europe. Allied fighters will escort them along the way. The crew gears up. They check the seals on their oxygen masks. They have nine hours in the air ahead of them, a relatively short flight by their standards. They review details about the airspace during a pre-flight briefing. With many borders to cross and air traffic controllers to switch between, the European skies can be challenging for US pilots. Meanwhile, maintenance crews are performing final checks on hundreds of components that need constant care. Without these skilled technicians, the BUFF simply doesn’t fly. —SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH— MSgt Parnell Brim 69th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron ‘A typical pre-flight is going to take about eight hours for four individuals. After they complete all their actions, which for a pre-flight, could be upwards of 182 maintenance actions individually, then the aircraft is ready to fly. So for every hour of flight, it takes about 200 man-hours to help produce that sortie.’ —VOICEOVER IN ENGLISH-- The bomber crews head out to their planes, give the aircraft one last inspection and climb in through a hatch in the belly. The crew settles in for take-off and the pilots fire up each of the B-52’s eight engines. Flaps down, throttles max. With 68 tons of thrust at its back, the massive plane takes off. The B-52 has a crew of five, each with their own specific role. —SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH— LTC Joseph Cangealose 69th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron ‘So you have the aircraft commander, he sits in the left seat, he’s responsible for the safe employment of that aircraft. The co-pilot is one of our more junior pilots, typically. They’ve got the good airmanship, but we’re working on developing their mission awareness. We’ve got our electronic warfare officers. So they are really the defensive specialists of this airplane. In the lower section of the crew compartment is the radar navigator, so they are traditionally the ones tasked with weapons management. And then sitting next to them on the right is the navigator and their kind of traditional duties centre around mission timing, the route.’ —VOICEOVER IN ENGLISH-- As they near the target areas, the crews link up with Allied Joint Terminal Attack Controllers, or JTACs, on the ground. JTACs are highly skilled soldiers who specialise in spotting targets for aircraft or artillery. B-52s rely on them to make sure their strikes are on time and on target. —SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH— LTC Joseph Cangealose 69th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron ‘We can’t expect to have US forces on the ground everywhere. So the ability to train with those guys real-time while we’re out here on these BTFs is incredibly valuable.’ —VOICEOVER IN ENGLISH-- As the bombers cross Europe on their training mission, fighter jets from Allied nations fly up to meet them. It's good practice for everyone involved. If called upon to defend Allied territory, the fighters would be responsible for protecting the bombers from incoming threats. —SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH— LTC Joseph Cangealose 69th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron ‘We’re out there learning from each other. It’s really cool to have those fighters join up on your wing, and you can tell, even with their masks on, the guys flying the fighter jets have a big smile on their face. They’re happy to be there, happy to be working with us. And then getting to work out some of those tactics, and then having the ability to debrief it and make us better, it’s just a really cool opportunity.’ —VOICEOVER IN ENGLISH-- With a long list of tasks to accomplish, the nine-hour mission passes faster than you might expect. It’s hard work, and it keeps the crew busy. Still, many have never been to Europe before, and they find time to enjoy the view. —SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH— LTC Joseph Cangealose 69th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron ‘Flying over Europe is a pretty incredible opportunity. You have a chance to kind of look down and reflect at all the history that’s here. And understand really why NATO is so important, and how it came to be.” —VOICEOVER IN ENGLISH-- Their mission complete, the bombers turn towards England, with fighters from the Croatian Air Force on their wing. Their reward for a hard day’s work is a hot meal, a good night’s sleep and the promise of another training flight tomorrow.” —SOUNDBITE IN ENGLISH— LTC Joseph Cangealose 69th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron I think our presence here sends two messages. So it’s the assurance for those Allies that we’re flying over. That shows them we’re here for them. It also sends that strong message to our adversaries that we are here and we have refined tactics and interoperability with those Allied fighters.”
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