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USAF B-1B first Bomber Task Force deployment to Japan
A Bomber Task Force deployment of US Air Force B-1B Lancer aircraft, Airmen and support equipment from the 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, deployed for first time to Misawa Air Base, Japan, recently, to support Pacific Air Forces’ training efforts with Allies, partners, and joint forces and strategic deterrence missions to reinforce regional stability in the Indo-Pacific.
As reported by Senior Airman Emma Anderson, Pacific Air Forces Public Affairs, in the article Airmen, aircraft deploy in support of first Bomber Task Force mission to Japan, these deployments continue the enduring security cooperation with Japan and support our combined capability to quickly and decisively respond to any challenge presented in the Indo-Pacific.
Bomber Task Force deployments familiarize aircrew with air bases and operations in different Geographic Combatant Commands’ areas of operations. This deployment to Japan showcases the United States’ commitment to the Indo-Pacific region and our Allies and partners.
“BTF 25-2 showcases the U.S. commitment to deterring threats and maintaining regional stability,” said Lt. Col. Christopher Travelstead, 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron director of operations. “These missions in the Indo-Pacific ensure our B-1 crews are highly trained and ready to respond anytime, anywhere, to defend U.S. interests and support our allies, securing a stable Indo-Pacific—where all nations operate freely under a rules-based order while promoting global peace and prosperity.”
The National Diet and the Government of the United States of America are committed to reinforcing deterrence to promote regional stability and deter the outbreak of conflict.
The 9th Bomb Squadron
The 7th Bomb Wing is the host unit at Dyess and is assigned to 8th Air Force at Barksdale AFB, La. The wing is a component of Air Force Global Strike Command, headquartered at Barksdale AFB, La.
The wing is composed of many units working in unison to support logistic, operations, medical, and support functions and is host to 13 associate units. In a nutshell, the 7th Bomb Wing’s mission is to provide world class Airmen and air power for the warfighter. It is also charged with producing combat-ready aircrews in the Air Force’s only B-1B formal training unit. Groups assigned to the wing include the 7th Operations Group, the 7th Maintenance Group, the 7th Mission Support Group and the 7th Medical Group. In addition, the wing provides host-unit support for the 317th Airlift Wing and 489th Bomb Group also stationed here.
The 9th Bomb Squadron maintains combat readiness to deliver rapid, decisive airpower on a large scale in support of conventional warfare tasks. Squadron experts provide warfighting commanders with the best in operational aircrews and B-1B aircraft. The squadron repairs, services, launches, recovers, and inspects B-1 aircraft capable of sustained intercontinental missions and world-wide deployment/employment from forward operating locations. The 9th BS is the oldest active bomb squadron in the Air Force, and its most recent combat involvement was during Operation Enduring Freedom. The unit flew more than 300 combat sorties during its four-month deployment in mid 2006 in support of the war on terrorism.
The Lancer
Carrying the largest conventional payload of both guided and unguided weapons in the Air Force inventory, the multi-mission B-1 Lancer 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 in the world, at any time.
The B-1B holds almost 50 world records for speed, payload, range, and time of climb in its class. The National Aeronautic Association recognized the B-1B for completing one of the 10 most memorable record flights for 1994. The most recent records were made official in 2004.
The B-1B was first used in combat in support of operations against Iraq during Operation Desert Fox in December 1998. In 1999, six B-1s were used in Operation Allied Force, delivering more than 20 percent of the total ordnance while flying less than 2 percent of the combat sorties.
During the first six months of Operation Enduring Freedom, eight B-1s dropped nearly 40 percent of the total tonnage delivered by coalition air forces. This included nearly 3,900 JDAMs, or 67 percent of the total. In Operation Iraqi Freedom, the aircraft flew less than 1 percent of the combat missions while delivering 43 percent of the JDAMs used. The B-1 continues to be deployed today, flying missions daily in support of continuing operations.
Photo credit: Senior Airman Alondra Cristobal Hernandez / U.S. Air Force
