High Flyers: How B-2, B-52 & B1-B Bomber Patrols Keep Enemies Off Guard

Video Above: B1-B Hypersonic Weapons Bay

By Kris Osborn – President & Editor-In-Chief, Warrior Maven

Although larger numbers of operational F-35s are emerging throughout Europe and more countries continue to join the multinational F-35 alliance of nations, there is still a critical need for the kind of unique and extremely important impact of bomber patrols.

Long range bombers such as a B-2, B-52 or B1-B will continue to conduct Bomber Task Force patrols in the skies above Europe for a number of key reasons, senior service leaders explained. 

B-2, B-52 and B1-B Bomber Task Force Patrols

“Bombers give us the ability to provide some strategic ambiguity. There is a pattern of life to fighters. Bombers are recognized by our adversaries and they (our adversaries) recognize that we are training from a standoff perspective. Standoff targeting adds a deterrent value that is hard to quantify. We get feedback as to what the impact is which we don’t get with our fighters,” Harrigian said. Gen Jeffrey L. Harrigian, Commander, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, U.S. Air Forces Africa and Allied Air Command and Director, Joint Air Power Competence Centre.

Harrigian explained that many F-35s and 4th-generation aircraft often perform the similar routines over the course of time, something which establishes a regular “pattern of life” for adversaries to notice. 

This means it can be difficult to be unpredictable and present a credible deterrence posture in a manner unexpected by an enemy. High-altitude bombers, enabled by long-range sensors, targeting technologies and weapons can introduce unexpected threats for an adversary in a way that fortify the deterrence posture.