"Just a nice Picture...!"
On 7 January 2021, two Boeing B-52H Stratofortress bombers from the 5th Bomb Wing flew towards the Middle East to conduct training operations with Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) F-15SA Eagles and USAF F-16CM Fighting Falcons.
While they were refueled in the air by multiple KC-10A Extenders and KC-135R Stratotankers, the B-52Hs 60-0012 (69th Bomb Squadron Knighthawks) and 60-0044 (23rd Bomb Squadron Barons), flew as "GRIM21/22", a 36-hour non-stop Dynamic Force Employment (DFE) mission from their homebase Minot AFB (ND).
Over Saudi Arabian airspace the B-52Hs were escorted by RSAF 92sq F-15SAs 9241, 9242 and USAF's 77th Fighter Squadron Gamblers F-16CMs 01-7050 and 91-0353 (as 77th FS flagship).
Clearly sending a message towards Iran, this was the fourth Stratofortress DFE mission towards the Middle East in two months time. During the previous DFE mission on 10 December 2020, two Boeing B-52H bombers from Barksdale's 2nd Bomb Wing flew towards the Middle East. It is expected that more DFE flights will follow suit.
Photo: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia MoD