While we don’t know what type of “integration” mission the aircraft flew, it turned out to be a great opportunity for some cool air-to-air photographs.
The B-2A Stealth Bombers deployed to RAF Fairford, UK, as part of a Bomber Task Force, continue to carry out their daily sorties across the Europe.
As reported, on Aug. 28, one of the three strategic bombers landed at Keflavik, Iceland, marking the first landing of B-2 in Iceland, then, in the night between Sept. 4 and 5, another one flew a sortie over the Arctic Circle taking off from from RAF Fairford, UK, at around 22.45LT on Sept. 4 and returning to the deployment base at 09.45LT on Sept. 5. On Sept. 9, the B-2A “Spirit of Mississippi” (82-1071) landed at Lajes Airfield, Azores, Portugal, for a hot-pit refueling, before returning back to their deployment base.
Besides flying long-range missions across Europe, the B-2 Stealth Bombers are also integrating with British assets as well as U.S. ones based in the UK. As happened on Aug. 29, when two B-2s flew above the English countryside and over the White Cliffs of Dover along with two British F-35B Lightning jets in a mission that marked the first integration between the B-2 and a foreign Lightning, as well as on Sept. 16, when a B-2 flew with two F-15C from the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, UK, and two RAF F-35B Lightning from RAF Marham.
No additional detail about the joint mission has been released but at least the U.S. DoD has released some really interesting photographs showing the rather unusual formation trailing a KC-135 tanker of the 100th ARW (Air Refueling Wing) from RAF Mildenhall, UK, for the photo-shooting part of the sortie.
Interestingly, the KC-135s supporting the B-2s can be regularly tracked using ADS-B/Mode-S. Their activity gives a hint at the tanker support the Spirit bombers get as well as the area of operations.
For instance, on Sept. 16, two B-2As were involved in a mission in the Norwegian Sea area:
16 SEP: USAF B2s 82-1068 & 82-1071 MYTEE21 & MYTEE22 departed Fairford at approx 0730z – Norwegian Sea mission
— Mil Radar (@MIL_Radar) September 16, 2019
On their way back to RAF Fairford, QID518 supported MYTEE 21 flight on Sept. 16 afternoon.
QUID 518 currently in the general vicinity of air to air refuelling (AARA) 5 and will likely be the tanker support for MYTEE 21 flight – 2xB2s heading back to RAF #Fairford this afternoon #AvGeek #RadioGeek #Stealths #B2 pic.twitter.com/rqHucgZK2t
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— Bunker Alpha 🛰 (@BunkerAlpha) September 16, 2019
A great shot of MYTEE flight taken near Scarborough this afternoon while heading to AARA5 to meet up with QID518 for air to air refuelling 👀 Pic by: @Snap66456298 #AvGeek #RadioGeek #Stealths #B2 pic.twitter.com/EX5W5zcYHi
— Bunker Alpha 🛰 (@BunkerAlpha) September 16, 2019
QUID518
USAF KC-135
Will be,, or has been Tanking MYTEE flt.
B2s
Gas n Go.
Credit to FC,,
“fighter control” for info. pic.twitter.com/K2gKUfKrRE
— Freedar.uk (@freedar_uk) September 16, 2019
