McConnell air refueling aids long-range training flight exercise

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Victor J. Caputo
  • 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  Two KC-135 Stratotankers assigned to McConnell Air Force Base, refueled two B-52 Stratofortresses as part of a long-range training mission April 2, 2014.

The two bombers flew 20 hours non-stop from their home station of Barksdale AFB, La., to training ranges in Hawaii and back.

"There is no way we could do a Global Strike [Command] mission without tanker support," said Lt. Col. John Frizzell, 22nd Air Refueling Wing plans and programs chief and aircraft commander during the mission. "It takes multiple refuelings to get them as far as they went."

One of the Stratotankers encountered hydraulic issues with the boom that prevented a complete refueling from happening. The lead KC-135 offloaded the maximum amount of fuel possible to the B-52s before diverting to Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, Ariz. The McConnell crews coordinated with the Tanker Airlift Control Center at Scott AFB, Ill., to ensure the next crews scheduled to meet with the B-52s made up for the incomplete refueling.

"These long-duration, coordinated training missions allow our strategic bomber aircrews to execute synchronized global strike missions tailored to the needs of the combatant commander," said Maj. Gen. Scott Vander Hamm, 8th Air Force commander and Air Force Global Strike Command Joint Functional Component commander.

The mission, which spanned nearly 8,000 miles from home station to the drop site and back to the home installation, tested the ability for planners to coordinate operations between combatant commands and amongst multiple Air Force wings. The 20-plus hour training missions also demonstrated the U.S.' capability to provide a flexible and always-ready force to respond to a variety of threats and situations within U.S. Strategic Command's global strike and strategic deterrence missions.

During the training mission, bomber crews enhanced their operational proficiency and readiness by releasing their inert ordnance on Hawaii's Pohakuloa military weapon range. They also honed their skills at operating during a long duration flight; an important element of U.S. Strategic Command's enduring deterrence capability.

The B-52s eventually paired up with two B-2 Spirits from Whiteman AFB, Mo. Both planes are long-range, multi-role bombers capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear munitions. Both bombers can fly at high subsonic speeds at altitudes up to 50,000 feet.

Editor's note: Information from a U.S. Strategic Command Public Affairs article was used in this story.