Six B-52 Bombers Deployed From Barksdale Amid Rising Tensions
CNN and Fox News have both reported that six B-52 bombers from Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City have been deployed to the Indian Ocean. The move happens as tensions are rising in the Middle East after the United States assassinated Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.
Some of the bombers were tracked online by Aircraft Spots:
Reports say the bombers were sent to Diego Garcia, a British ruled island in the Indian Ocean, because the islands are considered to be out of the range of Iran's missile systems. CNN added during their report that this move does not signal that the Pentagon has ordered any active operations in the region.
Iranian leaders have reportedly considered options to respond and retaliate against American forces, and allies, to the assassination of Soleimani. The reports of the B-52 movements all indicate that the deployment is considered to be a deterrent against any retaliation efforts.