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Bomber Task Force

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Bomber Task Force (BTF) is a strategic mission that has been undertaken by the Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) of the United States Air Force (USAF) since 2018 to help develop the ability to operate from unfamiliar locations and integrate with allies and partner nations. The BTF is a development of the USAF's Bomber Assurance and Deterrence Missions which began in April 2014.[1][2] The missions regularly support both Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) and United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) and are conducted by the USAF's strategic bomber fleet of B-1B Lancers, B-2A Spirits and B-52H Stratofortresses.

History

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2018

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The Bomber Task Force mission was created as a response to the 2018 National Defense Strategy which called to develop Dynamic Force Employment where the USAF would use its forces to provide "proactive and scalable options for priority missions."[3] The first Bomber Task Force deployment was undertaken by the 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron (23rd EBS) who deployed four Boeing B-52H Stratofortresses to RAF Fairford, United Kingdom, from Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, in January 2018.[4] The principal aim of the deployment was to conduct theatre integration. This saw the first co-operation between B-52s and the Lithuanian Special Operations Forces.[5] The 393rd Bomb Squadron (393rd BS) carried out the first BTF in the Pacific region, deploying three Northrop Grumman B-2A Spirits to Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam, Hawaii, between 15 August and 27 September 2018.[6] The aim of the mission was to assess the readiness of the B-2A and its airmen as well as to integrate with the local Hawaii Air National Guard units.[7]

2019

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The BTF mission concept was further developed in 2019 with a deployment of six B-52Hs to RAF Fairford in April 2019, with Col. Michael Miller explaining the deployment was to test whether the 2nd Bomb Wing "could pick up [their] wing, send it somewhere, and see if it [could] operate independently on its own."[1] The deployment of six aircraft marked the largest to Europe since Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.[8]

B-52H escorted by a pair of Ukrainian Air Force Mikoyan MiG-29s during a BTF mission, 2020.

2020

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Four Rockwell B-1B Lancers of the 9th BS deployed to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, in May 2020 as part of a BTF mission.[9] It was carried out shortly after the USAF ended its 16-year long 'continuous bomber presence' in Guam in April 2020.[10][11] Between August and September 2020, the 23rd EBS deployed six B-52Hs to RAF Fairford.[12] Operating from Fairford, three B-52Hs carried out a sortie on 4 September seeing them overfly Ukraine, operating alongside the Ukrainian Air Force and NATO allies, flying close to Russian occupied Crimea.[13] A subsequent mission saw a pair of B-52Hs carry out a simulated attack on Kaliningrad, integrating alongside Italian Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons.[14]

2021

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Between February and March 2021, four Rockwell B-1B Lancers from the 9th EBS deployed to Ørland Main Air Station in Norway.[15] A sortie on 12 March saw a B-1B land in Poland for the first time, with a mission being conducted to Powidz Air Base.[16] The BTF also marked the first time a USAF bomber squadron had deployed to Norway from where they operated in the European and Arctic regions.[17]

2022

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In February 2022, four B-52Hs of the 69th EBS deployed to RAF Fairford during the prelude to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[18] The aircraft stayed at Fairford until April, integrating with European allies and partners amidst the Russian invasion of Ukraine that began on 24 February.[19] By 2022, the BTF concept had evolved into a method "to deploy a tailor-built task force of bombers in a Geographic Combatant Command."[19]

2023

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The 2023 Bomber Task Force milestones included the first hot-pit refuel missions of B-1B bombers in Turkey and Romania, and a visit to Sweden.[20][21] B-2 bombers deployed to Keflavik Air Base in Iceland also took part in a hot-pit refuel mission in Norway.[22] As part of the Bomber Task Force 23-3 mission, two B-1B bombers flew on a long range mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina where a low approach flyby was performed over Sarajevo.[23]

2024

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The 2024 missions saw the deployment of B-1B bombers for the first time to Sweden at the Luleå-Kallax Air Base as part of Bomber Task Force 24–2 in February.[24] In July, two B-52 bombers were deployed to the Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base, which marked the first deployment of US strategic bombers to Romania. The two B-52s were also intercepted by Russian fighters while crossing the Barents Sea but they continued on their course without any incident.[25] On 25 July, the bombers conducted a 32-hour mission to the Middle East, integrating with the United States Marine Corps Forces Central Command before returning to their home base at Barksdale Air Force Base.[26]

References

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  1. ^ a b Wrightsman, Jacob (19 April 2019). "Bomber Task Force in Europe showcases future of strategic deterrence". Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  2. ^ Lara, Miguel (29 April 2020). "B-1s conduct South China Sea mission, demonstrates global presence". Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  3. ^ "Summary of the 2018 National Defense Strategy" (PDF). Department of Defense. 19 January 2018. p. 7. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  4. ^ Armstrong, Justin (15 January 2018). "Minot B-52s, Airmen deploy to RAF Fairford". Royal Air Force Mildenhall. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  5. ^ Armstrong, Justin (31 January 2018). "Minot Airmen, B-52s complete UK deployment". Air Force Global Strike Command AFSTRAT-AIR. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  6. ^ Quilla, Danielle (4 October 2018). "First Hawaii deployment proves B-2 strategic flexibility to ensure free, open Indo-Pacific". www.af.mil. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  7. ^ "Bomber Task Force Overview". Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. 3 October 2018. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  8. ^ "US B-52 bombers conduct training in Europe". North Atlantic Treaty Organization. 14 March 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  9. ^ "B-1B Lancers return to Indo-Pacific for bomber task force deployment". Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. 1 May 2020. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  10. ^ Everstine, Brian W. (17 April 2020). "Air Force Ends Continuous Bomber Presence in Guam". Air & Space Forces Magazine. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  11. ^ Everstine, Brian W. (3 May 2020). "B-1s Deploy to Guam for First Time Since Continuous Bomber Presence Ends". Air & Space Forces Magazine. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  12. ^ Oliver, Eugene (24 August 2020). "U.S. Air Force B-52s return to Europe for ally, partner training". 501st Combat Support Wing. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  13. ^ "U.S. Air Force B-52s Integrate with Ukrainian Fighters". U.S. European Command. 4 September 2020. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  14. ^ Axe, David (25 September 2020). "U.S. Air Force B-52s Just Flew A Mock Bombing Run On Russia's Baltic Fortress". Forbes. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  15. ^ Cenciotti, David (22 February 2021). "U.S. B-1 Lancer Bombers To Operate From Orland Air Base During Upcoming First Ever Norway Deployment". The Aviationist. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  16. ^ "B-1 lands in Poland for the first time". U.S. Air Forces in Europe & Air Forces Africa. 12 March 2021. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  17. ^ Hollowell, Colin (30 March 2021). "9th EBS concludes BTF Europe operations". Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  18. ^ Fisher, Lucy (11 February 2022). "Ukraine crisis: American B-52 'Stratofortress' bombers land in UK". The Telegraph. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  19. ^ a b Lichtenhan, Evan (21 April 2022). "69th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron completes historic Bomber Task Force mission in Europe". Air Force Global Strike Command AFSTRAT-AIR. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  20. ^ USAFE-AFAFRICA PUBLIC AFFAIRS (29 June 2023). "Bomber Task Force Europe: Supersonic bombers complete successful rotation". eucom.mil.
  21. ^ USAFE-AFAFRICA PUBLIC AFFAIRS (31 October 2023). "US B-1Bs mark historic milestone at Incirlik Air Base". eucom.mil.
  22. ^ Lindsey Weichel (30 August 2023). "B-2 Spirit conducts historic hot-pit refueling in Norway". eucom.mil.
  23. ^ Adnan Bujak (30 May 2023). "Bomber Task Force: Supersonic bombers' low approach flyby shows support to Bosnia Herzegovina". eucom.mil.
  24. ^ Cameron Silver (23 February 2024). "U.S. bombers arrive in Sweden for Bomber Task Force 24-2". eucom.mil.
  25. ^ USAFE-AFAFRICA PUBLIC AFFAIRS (22 July 2024). "U.S. bombers arrive in Romania for Bomber Task Force 24-4". eucom.mil.
  26. ^ "U.S. bomber participates in Maritime Fire Support Symposium". afcent.af.mil. 27 July 2024.
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