Bit difficult to watch UK TV from out here Beagle. I see the BBC is now reporting Hoon as saying that the B-52 detachment will consist of 14 aircraft.
I still wonder about overflight permission of France. It won't be a great hardship if they don't, as the Buffs can always dogleg down the Bay of Biscay and route over Spain, but it will be revealing to see what France's stand is. It isn't a NATO operation, and they did close their airspace when the F-111s were launched against Libya.