MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. -- McConnell KC-46s will be in the air over land and sea, fueling the fight and projecting airpower with Joint and international partners in a new exercise called Bamboo Eagle.
Airmen and KC-46s from McConnell will join with 23 other units to participate in Exercise Bamboo Eagle, beginning Jan. 26. Hosted by the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, flight operations will occur in designated airspace off the coast of Southern California through Feb. 2.
Bamboo Eagle begins on the heels of Red Flag 24-1, which serves as the tactical build up to Bamboo Eagle’s operational implementation of multi-domain, combat readiness training. The inclusion of a maritime training zone over the Pacific allows for combat warfighters to train in a combat representative environment and will incorporate scenarios in the joint maritime domain.
Warfighters will implement all-domain combat-power generation from disaggregated basing locations throughout the western part of the U.S., while incorporating scenarios in distributed command and control, agile logistics, and tactical air-to-air refueling from Air Mobility Command. Part of that aerial refueling will be powered by KC-46A aircraft and Airmen from the 22nd Air Refueling Wing, heading to numerous locations to participate in Bamboo Eagle.
“We’re looking forward to working jointly with the other units and airframes to provide tactical aerial refueling, while accomplishing our own learning objectives for Bamboo Eagle, and the opportunity to support all-domain combat power generation. This will be a fantastic training opportunity to work with other services and international partners, to fuel all-domain combat-power generation,” said Capt. Corey Dickey, 349th Air Refueling Squadron and McConnell’s detachment commander for Bamboo Eagle.
Approximately 3,000 U.S. service members across four branches are expected to fly, maintain and support more than 150 aircraft from 24 units in more than 10 locations during Bamboo Eagle. Additionally, close to 300 joint and interagency allies and partners from the Royal Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force are also participating to make the nation’s forces stronger. Exercising with allies and partners enables the U.S. to improve interoperability and train in a way that reflects coalition forces in a future fight.