This article on the use of the Stratofortress in the fight against ISIS comes from a bookazine about the B-52H, published this year
Back to Iraq
Despite the declared end of combat operations in both Afghanistan and Iraq in May 2003, the situation in both theatres required an ongoing bomber presence. While B-52s continued to be deployed to Diego Garcia – primarily for operations over Afghanistan, the requirement for bombers to support operations in the Middle East was met by a long-standing deployment of Rockwell B-1B Lancers.
When the USAF’s B-1B Lancers needed to be sent home from CENTCOM in 2016 to receive the Integrated Battle Station upgrade, it was decided that the B-52H would fill the gap. So, after a decade-long absence from the Middle East, the 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron was deployed to Al Udeid Air Base in April 2016. Senior officers were quick to point out that this did not result in any reduction in capability.
