Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      A B-52 Stratofortress takes off Aug. 14, 2014, during a standoff weapons integration training exercise at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. The week-long training consisted of B-52s and B-1B Lancers conducting simulated combat scenarios at the Powder River Training Complex, S.D. to help prepare for real-world contingencies. The B-52 is from Minot Air Force Base, N.D. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Anania Tekurio)140814-F-UP124-146
                        
                        
                        A B-52 Stratofortress takes off Aug. 14, 2014, during a standoff weapons integration training exercise at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. The week-long training consisted of B-52s and B-1B Lancers conducting simulated combat scenarios at the Powder River Training Complex, S.D. to help prepare for real-world contingencies. The B-52 is from Minot Air Force Base, N.D. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Anania Tekurio)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        Aircrew members assigned to the 34th Bomb Squadron perform preflight checks of a B-1B Lancer bomber as part of a standoff weapons integration exercise Aug. 13, 2014, at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. The exercise was developed by B-1 aviators, and B-52 Stratofortress bomber crews assigned to the 23rd Bomb Squadron, Minot AFB, N.D., to create an integrated mission plan involving simulated tactical scenarios to train for potential future operations. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Zachary Hada)140813-F-HK400-040
                        
                        
                        Aircrew members assigned to the 34th Bomb Squadron perform preflight checks of a B-1B Lancer bomber as part of a standoff weapons integration exercise Aug. 13, 2014, at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. The exercise was developed by B-1 aviators, and B-52 Stratofortress bomber crews assigned to the 23rd Bomb Squadron, Minot AFB, N.D., to create an integrated mission plan involving simulated tactical scenarios to train for potential future operations. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Zachary Hada)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        Airman 1st Class Eriberto Gonzalez Gomez secures flaps underneath a B-52 Stratofortress during launch procedures as part of a standoff weapons integration training exercise Aug. 14, 2014, on the flightline at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. Gonzalez Gomez, a 5th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief from Minot Air Force Base, N.D., is responsible for maintaining and supervising the more than 40-year-old aircraft that can carry up to 70,000 pounds of munitions and is capable of flying at high subsonic speeds at altitudes up to 50,000 feet. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Anania Tekurio)140814-F-UP124-068
                        
                        
                        Airman 1st Class Eriberto Gonzalez Gomez secures flaps underneath a B-52 Stratofortress during launch procedures as part of a standoff weapons integration training exercise Aug. 14, 2014, on the flightline at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. Gonzalez Gomez, a 5th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief from Minot Air Force Base, N.D., is responsible for maintaining and supervising the more than 40-year-old aircraft that can carry up to 70,000 pounds of munitions and is capable of flying at high subsonic speeds at altitudes up to 50,000 feet. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Anania Tekurio)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

Ellsworth and Minot aircrews participate in inaugural aerial exercisePublished Aug. 25, 2014
                    
                    By Senior Airman Zachary Hada
                    
                    
                    28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
            **ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. (AFNS) --**Aircrews from the 23rd Bomb Squadron, Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota and the 34th Bomb Squadron, here, participated in the inaugural integrated standoff weapons exercise Aug. 11-14, at the Powder River Training Complex, South Dakota.The purpose of the multi-day exercise with B-1B Lancer bombers and several of Minot's B-52 Stratofortresses was to compare and improve the tactics, techniques and procedures associated with the airframes while employing standoff weapons."The overall goal was to learn from each other in how we use our standoff weapons to determine the most effective ways to employ these weapons with each other," said Capt. Christopher McConnell, a 28th Operations Support Squadron wing weapons officer.Standoff weapons are munitions, such as missiles, that are able to be launched from hundreds of miles away at a target."The standoff weapon capability of our aircraft is a critical asset for us to have," said Capt. Joseph Manglitz, a 23rd Bomb Squadron B-52 pilot. "It's important for us to become experts on their employment training tactics."During the exercise the squadrons flew seven B-1 and eight B-52 sorties in the Powder River airspace where aircrews focused on employing standoff weapons such as joint air-to-surface missiles, conventional air-launched cruise missiles and miniature air-launched decoys.Manglitz said aviators are usually only familiar with the tactics and capabilities specific to their aircraft."When we participate in exercises like this with multiple platforms, we are forced to think about weapons and tactics in a new way, which ultimately makes us all better combat aviators," he said.Prior to flying the training sorties, all aircrew members met to develop an integrated employment plan that played to the strengths of each airframe."In real-world scenarios we will be expected to know each other capabilities and how we can utilize weapons from each platform in order to better achieve a commander's intent or how best to kill the target and ensure that our weapons make it to the target area at the right time," McConnell said.Following mission planning, the aircrews flew together in the Powder River airspace and put the plan into action. After the flights, the crews met again to debrief and address what went well and what needed improvement."The event is new this year and we hope to make it a semi-annual or annual exercise between the bomber communities with either real-world flying or within our simulator weapon systems trainers," McConnell said.23rd Bomb Squadron 



B-52 Stratofortresses 



Minot AFB 



B-1B Lancer 



ACC 



34th Bomb Squadron 



Ellsworth AFB

Related Links
        B-1B Lancer
                                Dec. 16, 2015
                                Carrying the largest conventional payload of both guided and unguided weapons in the Air Force inventory, the multi-mission B-1 is the backbone of America's long-range bomber force. It can rapidly deliver massive quantities of precision and non-precision weapons against any adversary, anywhere.
            
            B-52H Stratofortress
                                Dec. 16, 2015
                                The B-52H Stratofortress is a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions. The bomber is capable of flying at high subsonic speeds at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet. It can carry nuclear or precision guided conventional ordnance with worldwide precision navigation capability. Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                DAF leaders talk budget, reoptimizing the force
                    
                    DAF leaders speak at National Character and Leadership Symposium
                    
                    DAF members recognized during BEYA STEM awards
                    
                    DAF senior enlisted advisors discuss Airmen, Guardians in the fight
                    
                    SecAF Kendall AFA Warfare Symposium Q&A: Reoptimizing for Great Power CompetitionInnovation
                AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalists
                    
                    Chief Digital, Artificial Intelligence Office to host hackathon in HawaiiMAJCOM News
                Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
                    
                    AMC rises to increasing global tension
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil