US B-1B Lancers arrive at RAF Fairford as strikes on Iran intensify

Multiple U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers have arrived at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, United Kingdom, as American forces intensify strike operations against Iran under Operation Epic Fury.

The U.K. Ministry of Defence confirmed Saturday that U.S. forces had begun using the British base for “specific defensive operations to prevent Iran firing missiles into the region.”

The BBC reported at least three B-1B Lancers at the base, with the first aircraft arriving the evening of March 6 and two more on March 7.

Aviation tracking outlet The Aviationist reported four arrivals in the initial deployment, followed by a second flight bringing the total to eight B-1Bs in Europe.

According to The Aviationist , three of those aircraft diverted to Ramstein Air Base in Germany after low visibility prevented landing at Fairford following a mission over Iran; five are currently at Fairford.

The B-1B, originally built by Rockwell and now supported by Boeing, is operated by Air Force Global Strike Command and is a supersonic conventional strike aircraft capable of carrying up to 24 AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles internally.

B-1Bs have already played a significant role in the war. According to reports from early briefings, CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper said B-1 and B-2 bombers had carried out pinpoint strikes on missile sites deep inside Iran during the operation’s first 72 hours.

In a March 2 post on X, CENTCOM said the bombers struck deep inside the country “to degrade Iranian ballistic missile capabilities.” At a March 5 press briefing at CENTCOM headquarters, Cooper said that America’s bomber force had struck nearly 200 targets deep inside Iran, including around Tehran, in the preceding 72 hours.

The forward deployment comes as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that strikes on Iran are “about to surge dramatically.”

On March 4, Hegseth said that the U.S. had gained control of Iranian airspace and was shifting from advanced stand-off weapons to gravity bombs. Basing bombers at Fairford significantly shortens turnaround times compared to flying round-trip missions from the continental United States.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer authorized U.S. use of British bases on March 1 for what he described as a “specific and limited defensive purpose” of destroying Iran’s missiles “at source,” following initial resistance to a request from President Trump. RAF Fairford is the U.S. Air Force’s only dedicated forward operating location for heavy bombers in Europe.

Three B-52H Stratofortress bombers from Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, arrived at Fairford on March 9, the BBC reported , joining the B-1Bs already at the base.

U.S. Air Force Europe declined to confirm or deny the deployments.

多架美国空军 B-1B 枪骑兵轰炸机已抵达英国格洛斯特郡的费尔福德皇家空军基地，美军正在“史诗狂怒行动”中加强对伊朗的打击行动。

英国国防部周六证实，美军已开始使用该英国基地进行“特定防御行动，以防止伊朗向该地区发射导弹”。

BBC 报道称，该基地至少有三架 B-1B 枪骑兵轰炸机，第一架飞机于 3 月 6 日晚抵达，另外两架于 3 月 7 日抵达。

航空追踪网站 The Aviationist 报道称，首批部署的 B-1B 轰炸机共有四架抵达，随后又有一架航班抵达，使欧洲的 B-1B 轰炸机总数达到八架。

据航空专家网站报道，其中三架飞机在执行伊朗任务后，由于能见度低无法在费尔福德降落，因此转飞德国拉姆施泰因空军基地；目前有五架飞机在费尔福德。

B-1B 最初由罗克韦尔公司制造，现在由波音公司提供支持，由美国空军全球打击司令部运营，是一种超音速常规攻击机，能够内部携带多达 24 枚 AGM-158 联合空对地防区外导弹。

B-1B轰炸机已经在战争中发挥了重要作用。根据早期简报的报告，中央司令部司令布拉德·库珀海军上将表示，在行动开始后的前72小时内，B-1和B-2轰炸机对伊朗境内纵深的导弹发射井进行了精确打击。

3月2日，美国中央司令部在其官方网站X上发布消息称，轰炸机对伊朗境内纵深目标发动袭击，“旨在削弱伊朗的弹道导弹能力”。3月5日，库珀在中央司令部总部举行的新闻发布会上表示，在过去72小时内，美国轰炸机部队对伊朗境内近200个目标进行了打击，其中包括德黑兰周边地区。

此次前沿部署正值国防部长皮特·赫格塞斯警告称，对伊朗的打击“即将大幅增加”之际。

3月4日，赫格塞斯表示，美国已控制伊朗领空，并正从先进的防区外武器转向重力炸弹。与从美国本土执行往返任务相比，将轰炸机部署在费尔福德空军基地可显著缩短周转时间。

英国首相基尔·斯塔默于3月1日授权美国使用英国空军基地，他称之为“特定且有限的防御目的”，即“从源头”摧毁伊朗的导弹。此前，美国曾拒绝特朗普总统的请求。费尔福德皇家空军基地是美国空军在欧洲唯一专门用于重型轰炸机的前沿作战基地。

据英国广播公司 (BBC) 报道，3 架来自北达科他州迈诺特空军基地的 B-52H 同温层堡垒轰炸机于 3 月 9 日抵达费尔福德，与该基地已有的 B-1B 轰炸机汇合。

美国空军欧洲司令部拒绝证实或否认此次部署。