The U.S. Air Force has deployed an unspecified number of B-52s from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, joining the 19-nation air coalition in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. U.S. Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James had recently indicated that B-52s could replace the B-1Bs currently returning from the theatre for modernisation and maintenance.

This deployment is the first basing of the B-52s in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility in 26 years. The B-52s were based in Saudi Arabia supporting Operation Desert Storm. The B-52s were last flown operationally during Operation Enduring Freedom in May 2006, and during Exercise Eager Lion, a USCENTCOM-led multilateral exercise in Jordan, in May 2015.

The B-52, which can carry about 70,000 pounds of mixed ordnance, can perform a variety of roles, including strategic attack and close air support. The aircraft recently participated in the French-led Serpentex close air support exercise and the Cold Response 16 exercise in Normay.

The coalition has conducted more than 33,000 airpower missions in support of OIR. Since the beginning of the operation, the coalition has struck about 459 vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices, 776 mortar systems, 1,933 logistics buildings housing these weapons, 662 weapons caches, and 1,341 staging areas.