COMAL11 and 12, escorted by two RSAF F-15SAs over Saudi Arabia. Note the U.S. F-15Es in the background (Image credit: Fahad Rihan) Two U.S. Air Force B-52H bombers flew direct from Barksdale Air Force Base to the Persian Gulf during latest “deterrence mission” against Iran. And were escorted by Saudi F-15SA aircraft during the leg flown over Saudi Arabia. On Dec. 9, two B-52s with the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, launched for a 38-hour round trip mission to the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia. The short-notice, non-stop mission was “designed to underscore the U.S. military’s commitment to its regional partners, while also validating the ability to rapidly deploy combat power anywhere in the world”, said the senior commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East.