B-2 Spirit stealth bombers launched from Whiteman AFB on a transatlantic round-trip sortie, supported by an E-6B Mercury flying from Ramstein. Let’s look at what happened.

The appearance on Sept. 21, 2025, of a U.S. Navy E-6B Mercury over European skies signaled to many enthusiasts who monitor the activities of U.S. strategic forces that they should expect what is widely known as a ‘Skymaster Exercise’ in the following few days. ‘Skymaster Exercises’ involve U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM) assets like strategic bombers and airborne command posts, and usually last for hours or days, compared to the multiple week Global Thunder and Global Lightning STRATCOM exercises. The term (applied by enthusiasts) stems from the callsign SKYMASTER, frequently used on the U.S. Air Force High Frequency

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