B-52 Flies over Dubai amid Trump’s Middle East Push

A U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress bomber flew over the Middle East on Nov. 18 as the Trump administration moved to boost ties with Saudi Arabia.

The B-52 flew over the Dubai Air Show in the United Arab Emirates. That flight coincided with a visit this week to the White House by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, the de facto Saudi leader.

The Middle East’s premier air show also featured displays from the U.S. Air Force’s demo teams for F-35 Lightning II and the F-16 Fighting Falcon, as well as a flyover by a U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon. F-15 Strike Eagle fighters and A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft, which are known to be based in the region alongside F-16s, were also displayed at the show.

The biennial show is a major regional gathering that draws military and defense industry executives from around the world. It is one of the few defense shows where competing geopolitical alliances are in full display, with a mix of Russian and Chinese firms alongside Western and American ones.

The B-52 departed from Morón Air Base in Spain, where it is deployed as part of a Bomber Task Force of three U.S. strategic bombers from the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base, La. The deployment is overseen by U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa, but Bomber Task Force missions often cross into different geographic combatant commands.

The B-52 first crossed Saudi airspace and then orbited over Qatar, which houses the forward headquarters of AFCENT and CENTCOM at Al Udeid Air Base. U.S. officials did not immediately say whether the Dubai flyover was the only mission the B-52 conducted while on that specific flight. A second B-52 also departed Morón but turned around over the Mediterranean.

“Our presence at Dubai is more than just an air show,” said Lt. Gen. Derek France, the commander of Air Forces Central, the air component of U.S. Central Command. “We are showcasing our professionalism, training, and lethality on a world stage in plain view. The message we are sending is clear, peace through strength. We along with our partners are committed to regional stability, and we are equipped, trained, and ready to sustain stability and reinforce security.”