US deploys B-1B bombers to Turkey for long-planned exercise amid Gaza war.
The Pentagons show of force came as Irans top diplomat visited Ankara amid threats by Tehran and its proxies to pile on Israels war in the Gaza Strip.
the United States deployed a pair of B-1B Lancer bombers to Turkey’s Incirlik air base on Tuesday for excercises as Israel’s war in Gaza threatens to reshape the Middle East’s geopolitical landscape.
The bombers, launched from the Royal Air Force base at Fairford in the United Kingdom, are assigned to the US Air Force’s 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron. The Lancers took part in a “hot-pitting” refueling exercise while on the runway in Turkey, US European Command stated.
The practice enables ground crews to refuel the bombers without pilots disabling the engines for rapid further deployment during wartime missions.