Herpa 573467 1/200 U.S. Air Force Boeing B-52H 23rd Bomb Squadron "Excalibur"

Beginning in 2018, the U.S. Air Force established Bomber Task Forces to develop the capability to operate from unknown locations and to cooperate seamlessly with allies and partner nations in both the Pacific and Europe. Typically, four to six strategic bombers of the B-52 Stratofortress, B-1 Lancer, or B-2 Spirit types, from rotating squadrons, operate in exercises and patrol missions in Europe and North Africa. The Bomber Task Forces are primarily based at RAF Fairford in southwest England but have also been deployed to several countries on the continent, including Iceland, Norway, Poland, and most recently, Romania. "Excalibur" and its crew, along with three other B-52s, were deployed to England from Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota in the spring of 2022 as part of such a Bomber Task Force. This B-52H, serial number 60-0044, carries the emblem of the 5th Operations Support Squadron. The 5th Operations Support Squadron is responsible for all activities at the airfield, including air traffic control, mission planning and crew training, and also provides intelligence to the crews of the 23rd and 69th Squadrons,