Forward deployed at RAF Fairford, and organised into the 2nd Expeditionary Operations Group, the centrepiece of the USAF’s bomber force consisted of 11 B-52H heavy bombers drawn from 2nd and 23rd BS/5th BW based at Minot AFB, and 11th, 20th and 96th BS/2nd BW from Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. Their weapons configurations ranged from 8 AGM-86 CALCM (usually carried internally), to up to 45 Mk.82s (27 internally and 18 on external pylons), to 3 AGM-142 Popeye (plus their guidance pod, all on external pylons), and 61-0002 was also seen armed with at least one GBU-10. Illustrated here is the B-52H 60-0020, nicknamed ‘The Mad Bolshevik’ from 20th BS/2nd BW, which by May 1999 displayed mission marks for 10 CALCM-strikes and 20 bomb strikes. The centre insets show some of the underwing weapons configurations noted, including one with an AGM-142 Popeye (and its guidance pod), and one with eight Mk.82 general purpose bombs and one SUU-30/A cluster bomblet dispenser. (Artwork by Tom Cooper)