2014 War Against the Islamic State

B-52 Stratofortress in the 2014 War Against the Islamic State

U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bombers deployed to Al Udeid Air Base in 2016 for Operation Inherent Resolve, struck an ISIL weapons-storage facility at Qayyarah, Iraq, and later flew sustained armed-overwatch, ISR, and precision-strike missions over Iraq and Syria.

Weapon profileB-52 Stratofortress
SideAnti-ISIS coalition and partner forcesRoleLong-Range StrikeInterdiction
B-52 Stratofortress, Long-range heavy bomber, Aircraft & UAVs - 2014 War Against the Islamic State
Image source: B-52 flying over clouds

Evidence Map

ClaimSources
U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress aircraft deployed to Al Udeid Air Base in April 2016 in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.

Sources: B-52s Arrive at Al Udeid Air Base

A B-52 conducted its first anti-ISIL mission by striking an ISIL weapons-storage facility at Qayyarah, Iraq.

Sources: Iraqi forces liberate Hit, B-52s fly first missions over Iraq, Department of War Warren Briefing

B-52 squadrons flew sustained missions from 2016 to 2018, including armed overwatch, ISR, and precision strikes supporting Iraqi Security Forces and Syrian Democratic Forces.

Sources: The BUFF passes bomber torch after two years

Timeline

B-52 Stratofortress In 2014 War Against the Islamic State

  1. B-52s arrive at Al Udeid for Operation Inherent Resolve

    U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress aircraft from Barksdale Air Force Base arrived at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.

    Sources: B-52s Arrive at Al Udeid Air Base

  2. First B-52 mission against ISIL targets

    CENTCOM reported that the deployed B-52 conducted its first mission against ISIL, striking an ISIL weapons-storage facility in Qayyarah, Iraq.

    Sources: Iraqi forces liberate Hit; B-52s fly first missions over Iraq, Department of War Warren Briefing

  3. B-52 bomber duty transitions to B-1B

    AFCENT reported that the B-52 flew its last mission before turning over bomber duty to the B-1B Lancer after two years of operations from Al Udeid.

    Sources: The BUFF passes bomber torch after two years

Documented Use

Direct proof of use

The B-52 Stratofortress is directly documented in the anti-ISIS campaign through U.S. military releases from 2016 and 2018. A Department of War photo caption states that B-52 aircraft from Barksdale Air Force Base arrived at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, on April 9, 2016 in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.

CENTCOM reporting on April 21, 2016 said the deployed B-52 conducted its first mission against ISIL that week, targeting an ISIL weapons-storage facility at Qayyarah, Iraq. The same reporting described the B-52 as a precision-strike platform within the existing coalition air campaign.

Sources: B-52s Arrive at Al Udeid Air Base, Iraqi forces liberate Hit; B-52s fly first missions over Iraq

Timeline

On April 9, 2016, B-52s arrived at Al Udeid Air Base for Operation Inherent Resolve, replacing the bomber presence that had supported coalition air operations against ISIS. Later that month, official reporting identified the first B-52 mission against ISIL targets in Iraq at Qayyarah.

By April 2018, U.S. Air Forces Central described the B-52 deployment as a two-year bomber mission. AFCENT reported approximately 1,850 missions on the Air Tasking Order and nearly 12,000 weapons employed against Islamic State and Taliban targets across the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.

Sources: B-52s Arrive at Al Udeid Air Base, Iraqi forces liberate Hit; B-52s fly first missions over Iraq, The BUFF passes bomber torch after two years

Narrative

In the 2014 War Against the Islamic State, documented B-52 use belonged to the anti-ISIS coalition air campaign rather than to a transfer or partner-force possession case. The aircraft were U.S. Air Force bombers based at Al Udeid Air Base and used for Operation Inherent Resolve missions over Iraq and Syria.

The sources support several roles: precision strikes against ISIS facilities, on-call firepower for partner and coalition ground forces, armed overwatch, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. AFCENT connected those missions to support for Iraqi Security Forces and Syrian Democratic Forces as ISIS was pushed into the Middle Euphrates River Valley.

The public sources do not identify every B-52 munition type used in the anti-ISIS campaign. The clearest conflict-specific claims are the April 2016 arrival and first strike at Qayyarah, followed by the 2016-2018 deployment totals and role descriptions published by AFCENT.

Sources: Iraqi forces liberate Hit; B-52s fly first missions over Iraq, The BUFF passes bomber torch after two years

Related Weapons by Role

AGM-86B/C/D Missiles, Air-launched cruise missile family, MunitionsMunitionsAGM-86B/C/D MissilesAir-launched cruise missile familyThe AGM-86B/C/D missiles are Boeing-built U.S. air-launched cruise missiles developed for B-52 bomber standoff strike. The AGM-86A prototype did not enter production; the longer-range AGM-86B became the nuclear ALCM, while the AGM-86C and AGM-86D CALCM conversions replaced the nuclear payload with conventional blast/fragmentation or penetrating warheads. Air Force material lists AGM-86B as the remaining active-force variant and says the C/D stockpile was demilitarized by October 2022.
F/A-18 Hornet (Tactical), Carrier-capable multirole strike fighter, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsF/A-18 Hornet (Tactical)Carrier-capable multirole strike fighterThe F/A-18 Hornet (Tactical) is the National Naval Aviation Museum's label for the original McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 A-D Hornet family, a twin-engine carrier-capable strike fighter that entered Marine Corps service in 1983 and U.S. Navy service in 1984. NAVAIR describes the Hornet as the nation's first all-weather fighter and attack aircraft; its documented combat record spans Libya, Desert Storm, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, and later coalition campaigns.
2 more weapons
Back to B-52 StratofortressBrowse 2014 War Against the Islamic State

Sources