Ellsworth aircrews garner vital experience during long range strike mission

  • Published
  • By Airman Hrair H. Palyan
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  Three B-1 bomber aircrews received valuable experience conducting a long range strike and working jointly with other Air Force assets during an exercise over Fort Yukon, Alaska April 4.

Base B-1s from Ellsworth joined F-22 Raptors and E-3s assigned to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, F-16s from Misawa Air Base, Japan, and KC-135s from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, in a Air Force training exercise.

Ellsworth B-1s were validating long range strike capability, F-22s and F-16s were testing their ability to escort B-1s into an anti-access target area. Aircrews from Ellsworth who participated in the long range strike exercise flew a 10-hour round-trip sortie from Ellsworth to strike their targets just east of Eielson.

With the completion of the exercise, aircrews were able to validate B-1 tactics, techniques and procedures learned from Operation Odyssey Dawn in March 2011.

"The sortie went well," said Capt. Charles Armstrong, 37th Bomb Squadron weapon systems operator and mission commander for the exercise. "We were able to validate the AGM-158 (Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missile) tactics that we wanted to, and we were able to see the long distance communication links in action.

"It was a great opportunity to simulate Operation Odyssey Dawn in miniature," Armstrong said. "We flew a long distance, while fighting into a target and then flew a long distance back."

Armstrong added that the exercise's duration was about the same as a sortie B-1 aircrews routinely fly as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Since 2001, B-1 aircrews from Ellsworth and Dyess Air Force Base, Texas have conducted continuous combat operations in Southwest Asia, providing around-the-clock support to combatant commanders. Ellsworth carries the lion's share of the commitment, deploying 12 of every 18 months.

"The success of the exercise validates that it is another valuable addition to Ellsworth's training regime aimed at continuously improving and keeping Airmen prepared for future missions," said Lt. Col. Barry Hutchison, 28th Operations Group deputy commander.