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 take a look at what occurred.
The looks on Sept. 21, 2025, of a U.S. Navy E-6B Mercury over European skies signaled to many fanatics who monitor the actions of U.S. strategic forces that they need to count on what’s broadly often known as a ‘Skymaster Train’ in the following couple of days. ‘Skymaster Workout routines’ contain U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM) property like strategic bombers and airborne command posts, and often final for hours or days, in comparison with the a number of week World Thunder and World Lightning STRATCOM workouts. The time period (utilized by fanatics) stems from the callsign SKYMASTER, often used on the U.S. Air Pressure Excessive Frequency World Communications System (HFGCS) throughout this kind of train and regarded as a collective callsign for energetic airborne command posts like E-4B Nightwatch and E-6B Mercury plane.
Within the early hours of Sept. 24, the anticipated train started in earnest with the launch of ZOLAR 11 and ZOLAR 12 from Whiteman Air Pressure Base, Missouri. This flight of two B-2A Spirit stealth bombers routed east in direction of the U.S. east coast, then northeast in direction of the AR20 aerial refueling monitor over Nova Scotia, Canada. No less than one of many B-2s was topped up with gas by a KC-46 Pegasus flying below the callsign FIAT 71.
ZOLAR 11 & 12 (B-2A Stealth Bomber) refueling with FIAT 71 (KC-46) on the AR20NE monitor over Nova Scotia. 💪😎 pic.twitter.com/FEOgzYiARq
— Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) September 24, 2025
Across the time of this primary refueling, fanatics famous the primary use (on this train) of the SKYMASTER callsign on HFGCS, with an unidentified station utilizing the callsign FAKE 11 (alternatively reported as SAINT or FATE, precise callsign unclear). FAKE 11 handed “two messages of 4 gadgets” – two teams of 4 alphanumeric characters to SKYMASTER. ZOLAR 11 may very well be heard calling SKYMASTER just a few hours later.
Final night time’s SKYMASTER occasion occurred, as anticipated.
The primary name to SKYMASTER was at 02:30 UTC. @ParssinenPaulus‘ livestream for 11175 kHz received a superb seize of the audio;
— NEET INTEL (@neetintel) September 24, 2025
Sooner or later earlier than reaching the Santa Maria oceanic airspace, managed from the Azores, ZOLAR 12 had returned to move again to Whiteman as an air spare. Flying spare plane to not less than the primary refueling leg of a long-distance sortie is frequent follow for strategic bombers. Not solely does it rehearse the very actual chance that in an operational mission, a part of an meant strike package deal won’t be capable to make it all the strategy to the goal, but it surely additionally implies that for deployments and workouts they will nearly assure the meant variety of plane will participate.
ZOLAR 11, now flying as a single ship, continued to a place off the northwestern tip of Spain, then holding to await one other refueling. This time, the tanker was a KC-135 from the a centesimal Air Refueling Wing at RAF Mildenhall, UK, callsign RAKE 24.
KC-135R #RAKE24 is up for AR with B-2 #ZOLAR11 alongside ALTRV “FLASH WHISKEY”, after which they’ll get better into Porto.
58-0100 / #AE04FE pic.twitter.com/LSdXkmwcHq
— EISNspotter 🇮🇪 (@EISNspotter) September 24, 2025
Having accomplished its deliberate route, ZOLAR 11 now returns to move again to the U.S. alongside an analogous route. Above Maine, the plane’s gas tanks as soon as once more obtain a high off from a ready KC-135.
zolar11 b-2 bomber is 60 miles north of Bangor out of 34,000 ft and descending to 24,000 ft to get refuel initially from main86 however 86 is having a disconnect subject and maine85 continues to be up within the space and they’ll now take the mission. maine86 holding over bangor proper now. pic.twitter.com/BPgqJ4N1OV
— Kevin Badger (@KevinBadger15) September 24, 2025
Trying Glass
As ZOLAR 11 made its method throughout the Atlantic in direction of Spain, the E-6B Mercury earlier ahead deployed to Ramstein received airborne and headed northwest. Skimming the japanese coast of the UK, COST 43 was certain for an space over water close to the Faroe Islands, between Iceland and the UK (within the famed GIUK hole) which had been notified every week prematurely as in use for army functions from the floor as much as an altitude of 30,000 ft.
On HFGCS, COST 43’s mission crew, utilizing the callsign WOODLAND, have been energetic and issuing coded messages known as Emergency Motion Messages (EAMs). These messages are transmitted ‘within the clear’, although they can’t be decoded with out the corresponding key (regarded as utilizing one-time pads).
COST43 (E-6B TACAMO) broadcasting a EAM on HF with a backend callsign WOODLAND pic.twitter.com/OT3gWpaphW
— Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) September 24, 2025
The aforementioned block of airspace extending from the floor to 30,000 ft is essential to notice, as a result of it means there may be clear airspace for the E-6B Mercury to deploy its trailing wire antennas. A pair of wires, one extending so long as 28,500 ft, and the opposite to about 5,000 ft, are carried by the E-6B plane to facilitate its major function of speaking with submerged submarines. Each of those wires work in tandem – the shorter one carries the transmission, whereas the longer one wraps round it and droops down nearly to sea degree, performing as a counterpoise, or floor aircraft.
These antennas permit the E-6B to transmit Very Low Frequency (VLF) messages, that are capable of penetrate under sea water to a most depth of round 130 ft (40 meters). This enables transmissions to be despatched to submarines and not using a want for these submarines to floor, very important for ballistic missile submarines which should stay undetected to correctly fulfill their strategic duties. The submarines are unable to reply in form, so it is a one-way affair.
As with Excessive Frequency (HF) communications, VLF transmissions may be obtained utilizing internet-hosted radios. Not like with HFGCS, which largely makes use of voice communications, messages despatched by E-6B plane over VLF are in teletype format, so have to be translated utilizing easy pc software program into readable letters and numbers.
COST 43 (E-6B TACAMO) broadcasting a EAM on VLF over the North Atlantic this morning. 💪😎🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/MwlcrhpP3x
— Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) September 24, 2025
Using VLF on this mission might imply {that a} U.S. Navy submarine additionally took half within the train, although it could even be potential that the EAMs have been transmitted over VLF with out an meant recipient merely for coaching functions.
WOODLAND remained on station in its airspace block for just below three hours earlier than heading again to Ramstein. E-6B deployments to Europe used to occur frequently, with the plane typically deploying to Stuttgart Airport the place U.S. European Command (EUCOM) is headquartered. Over the previous few years, deployments have nonetheless occurred however have been on a much less routine and extra sporadic foundation. Various working areas have been used, together with some which haven’t earlier than hosted E-6B operations. These journeys have typically coincided with very intentionally seen workouts alongside different U.S. strategic property, together with ballistic missile submarines.
Notably, the E-6B’s successor, the E-130J Phoenix II, is regarded as excluding the Trying Glass mission set in favor of a deal with the ‘Take Cost and Transfer Out’, or TACAMO, submarine communications mission. If this does find yourself being the case, future strategic workouts by U.S. Air Pressure bombers might not be capable to depend on the Navy’s TACAMO fleet, and an alternate platform will have to be fielded by the U.S. Air Pressure to fill the hole.
SKYMASTER
Because the train kicked off, and was seen by fanatics like NEET Intel, and Thenewarea51 with giant follower counts, it quickly got here to the eye of extra sensationalist accounts. Some would go onto proclaim the usage of the callsign SKYMASTER as an indication of impending nuclear warfare. Whereas the tactical use of strategic workouts as a geopolitical posturing device can’t be dominated out, and is in truth more likely to happen on some degree, we must be cautious drawing hyperlinks between these workouts and any ongoing actual world occasions, not to mention the beginning of a nuclear warfare. Skymaster workouts and the bigger World Thunder and World Lightning workouts are common, routine occasions, which have been held a number of instances a yr for a few years. If something, it’s probably that many of those accounts are conscious of the particular nature of the train, and are merely fishing with clickbait.
SKYMASTER EXERCISE going down immediately with a number of B-52, KC-135, E-6B TACAMOs, and EAMs 😎
DECEE02 flt (KC-135) clg BULK05 flt (B-52) to refuel over Missouri pic.twitter.com/sVfdMZZEpd
— Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) October 24, 2024
The following World Thunder is more likely to start in October or November, whereas World Lightning 26 is because of kick off in Q2 of 2026. These workouts see STRATCOM follow a full nuclear warfare state of affairs, with mass launches of bombers and help tankers in addition to the simulated destruction of floor models. Floor forces even get entangled, staging nuclear safety drills that see personnel ‘re-capturing’ Minuteman III nuclear missile silos. Skymaster workouts – once more, a reputation assigned by fanatics – seem like decrease key affairs simulating singular missions or conditions quite than a full warfare plan.
In some methods, SKYMASTER now appears to have inherited the conspiratorial affect on-line that when belonged to the callsign SKYKING. An typically repeated, and simply debunked, fable would state that coaching workouts would see transmissions repeat the callsign twice – i.e. “SKYKING, SKYKING” – earlier than continuing with a message, whereas actual world nuclear warfare could be heralded by three makes use of of the callsign. As we will see with common HFGCS visitors, the act of repeating a callsign twice is in truth simply routine follow for communications, with the format of many HFGCS message sorts being very standardised with a view to be as clear and comprehensible as potential. When calling any obtainable station, plane will name “MAINSAIL, MAINSAIL”, and within the above recordings of a SKYMASTER message you may hear FAKE 11 calling “SKYMASTER, SKYMASTER”.
Operation Poker
On the identical night time, France’s airborne strategic nuclear forces additionally performed a serious train simulating a nuclear strike mission. 4 such workouts are often held every year below the codename ‘Poker’. This train was Poker 2025-03, with 2025’s different Poker workouts having been held in March and in Could. March’s train was famous as the primary time since 2021 that the mission had been rehearsed throughout daytime.
A big a part of France’s A330 Multi-Position Tanker Transport (MRTT) fleet took half within the train, supporting each ‘blue staff’ and ‘crimson staff’ fighter plane. The blue staff plane go up in opposition to defending crimson staff plane and air defences of their try to ship a nuclear payload, carried by France’s distinctive ASMP-A nuclear cruise missile on board Dassault Rafale fighter plane. An E-3F Sentry AWACS plane additionally watched over the train individuals.
♠️♦️POKER | 2025-03🔄[MAJ H+2.75]1/3
Le raid arrive désormais en Méditerranée pendant que les RED se mettent en place… Décollage de 5 MRTT.Les premiers chasseurs en BA devraient arriver d’ici peu. Tandis que les chasseurs porteurs de l’arme sont attendus un peu plus… pic.twitter.com/iZgejVOJdn
— Trackeur ADS-B 🇫🇷 📡 (@TrackeurADSB) September 23, 2025
France’s air launched deterrent is without doubt one of the nation’s two nuclear weapon supply strategies, the opposite being primarily based on board 4 Triomphant class ballistic missile submarines. The air launched deterrent gives a really seen presence, and, below French nuclear doctrine, may be known as on to behave as a ultimate ‘warning shot’ earlier than the deployment of the strategic submarine-based deterrent’s ballistic missiles.
Nuclear armed air-launched cruise missile ASMP-A loaded on a Rafale M about to launch from French plane provider Charles de Gaulle. 2023. pic.twitter.com/Gn5g64nHjK
— Tom Antonov (@Tom_Antonov) February 13, 2025
Although some drew a hyperlink between the simultaneous workouts of each the U.S. and France, the overlap was probably a easy coincidence. Not like the UK’s Trident missiles, France’s nuclear weapons usually are not a declared NATO functionality. France is the one NATO member that’s not additionally a member of NATO’s Nuclear Planning Group, which oversees NATO’s general nuclear technique, a remnant of France’s fiercely impartial streak and its absence from NATO’s unified command construction totally between 1966 and 2009. As such, France’s nuclear deterrent very a lot operates by itself ft and with out a lot want for the interoperability afforded by such an train.
The French @DGA has awarded ArianeGroup the contract to design and produce the M51.4 strategic missile.
➡️ Enhanced vary, precision & penetration will reinforce the credibility of France’s oceanic nuclear deterrent in response to evolving threats. pic.twitter.com/WSKlnev9tm
— ArianeGroup (@ArianeGroup) September 12, 2025
In 2025, France and the UK signed a deal which is able to see elevated cooperation between the 2 nations’ nuclear methods. Nonetheless, the background behind the signing of this deal – the uncertainty over U.S. President Donald Trump’s dedication to defending Europe – means comparable cooperation with U.S. forces appears unlikely. French and UK ballistic missile submarine operations have, prior to now, been so impartial of one another that their patrol areas seem to have overlapped, inflicting a collision between ballistic missile submarines HMS Vanguard and Le Triomphant.
Although, on stability, the French train was probably unrelated, the coincidence is attention-grabbing nonetheless, and is a powerful sign of NATO’s general functionality.
