The B-1 Lancer bomber arrived at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire on Friday after Prime Minister Keir Starmer authorized the US to use British bases for defensive strikes on missile sites in Iran, according to the BBC.
Western officials previously confirmed the arrival of the aircraft, scheduled for the next few days. With a length of 44.5 meters, the supersonic bomber nicknamed “Bone” (No. Osul) is the fastest bomber in the US Air Force, reaching speeds of more than 1,448 km/h.
Piloted by a crew of four, the aircraft has a wingspan of 41.8 meters and weighs 86 tonnes.
The deployment of the bomber comes as US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday that attacks on Iran “are going to increase dramatically”.
“It's more fighter squadrons, more capabilities, more defensive capabilities. And it's more bombs dropped more frequently,” the US official said.
Mobilization in the Gulf
On Friday, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about the situation in the Gulf states under Iran's sights. Starmer assured the Saudi leader that Britain “stands ready to support the defense of the kingdom” if necessary.
A Downing Street spokeswoman confirmed the deployment of additional forces: “Additional fighter jets, helicopters and a British destroyer will be sent to the region.”
“The leaders also discussed increasing intelligence cooperation to support defensive operations and protect civilians,” she added.
On energy, the crown prince outlined “measures taken by the kingdom to boost global oil supply and support market stability.”
“Bone” Systems: Advanced Radar and Electronic Jamming
The American bomber has advanced radar and GPS systems for hitting targets, being equipped with electronic jamming devices, radar warning and a decoy system for protection.
RAF Fairford, located on the border between Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, was previously used by the US for long-range heavy bombing missions.
Although Britain granted the US permission to use British bases to conduct defensive strikes on installations, it did not take part in the actual action. So far, RAF aircraft have been limited to shooting down missiles and drones fired by Iran at allies in the region.
“You can't always wait for people to attack you”
In an interview with BBC Breakfast, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch criticized this approach: “They have to do more than that, they have to stop the missile bases, they have to act at the source.”
Badenoch stepped up calls for the government to allow the RAF to attack Iranian missile launch sites.
“You can't always wait for people to attack you. Sometimes you have to make sure you get there first to stop them from hurting your citizens,” she said. She added that she did not want to see “troops on the ground”.
On Friday morning, the Prime Minister's spokesman said Britain's response was “limited, specific and defensive” to protect British lives and interests. He said that while British forces are intercepting drones in the air, the US military is directly targeting missile launch sites in Iran.
“We have consistently said that we will take the necessary steps to prevent future attacks, which, as we set out this week, means allowing the US to destroy these missiles at source while we defend the airspace.”
