Ellsworth aims at improving long range strike capabilities

  • Published
  • By Airman Hrair H. Palyan
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  Three B-1 bombers from the 37th Bomb Squadron "Tigers" thundered skyward in the early hours of April 4, and promptly turned toward Fort Yukon, Alaska to conduct a combat training mission based off lessons learned from Operation Odyssey Dawn.

Planning for the mission, done as part of an exercise dubbed Operation Chimichanga, began in December 2011. Aircrews and a myriad of support agencies assigned to the 28th Bomb Wing began working closely with the 608th Air Operations Center at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., to develop a long range strike exercise aimed at improving processes noted during 28th BW participation in OOD.

"The purpose of this exercise is to flex all major muscle movements during the planning and executing phase of a long range strike," said Maj. Frank Welton, 28th Operations Support Squadron chief of wing weapons and tactics.

Welton said the exercise incorporates multiple live fly participants and command and control elements. The exercise started with a simulated warning order, continued through course of action development, execution order, air tasking order, live fly, and will finish with battle damage assessment and an after action report.

"We wanted to validate B-1B tactics, techniques and procedures to permit a more robust and accurate in-flight planning and retargeting of the AGM-158 joint air-surface standoff missile," Welton said.

The exercise joins the Red Flag exercise as another valuable addition to the Ellsworth's training regime aimed at continuously improving and keeping Airmen prepared for future missions.

"Lessons from Operation Odyssey Dawn necessitated a B-1 global power mission to improve and ultimately validate our ability to pass secure data across multiple combatant commands," said Col. John Nichols, 28th Operations Group commander. "These missions to the Yukon Range in Alaska will exercise those vital communications links."