Two U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress bombers arrived at Royal Air Force Fairford in Gloucestershire, United Kingdom, to join the multinational exercise Cobra Warrior 25-2, in September 2025.
Hosted by the Royal Air Force (RAF), Cobra Warrior 25-2 trained Allied air and ground forces in complex, contested and degraded environments over U.K. airspace and adjacent training areas.
“The primary objective of our mission during Cobra Warrior 2025 is to enhance interoperability with our NATO and Allied partners while executing complex, multidomain operations,” U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Kenny Squires, 307th Cobra Warrior exercise deployed commander, said in a news release. “We’re here to train like we fight — in joint, coalition environments — so we can respond effectively to any threat, anywhere in the world.”
In addition to the two B-52s, from the 307th Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, the U.S. Air Force deployed F-15E Strike Eagles, F-16C Fighting Falcons, F-35A Lightning IIs, CV-22B Ospreys, MC-130J Commando IIs and KC-135 Stratotankers. Canada contributed CF-188A Hornets and CC-130J Hercules tankers; Italy flew Eurofighter Typhoons with G550 CAEW support; and Germany sent Typhoons from its 74 Tactical Air Wing.
Cobra Warrier hones tactics, techniques and procedures for near-peer competition while reinforcing coalition interoperability. Participants conducted joint mission planning integration and live-fly missions intended to stress command and control in a multidomain fight. The exercise also served as the summative event for several U.K. Qualified Weapons Instructor courses in air-to-ground and air-to-air operations.
“Cobra Warrior is one of our Combat Air Collective Training events where we practice in the Joint space and alongside our allied partners, in defeating peer threats within a contested, degraded and operationally limited environment, at a time and place of our choosing,” said RAF Gp. Capt. Ray Morley.
Only one of the two Stratofortress airframes is fitted for nuclear-capable missions under New START treaty provisions; the other has been configured for conventional operations only, according to the website The Aviationist. The deployment came amid heightened tensions with Russia after incursions by Russian drones into NATO airspace over Poland triggered a fighter response in late August. U.S. officials said Cobra Warrior 25-2 was planned well in advance but underscored the ability to surge strategic bombers to support Alliance defense needs anywhere in Europe at short notice.