On June 12-14 this summer, Central Command's Bomber Task Force conducted an exercise in their area of responsibility with B-52 strategic bombers that flew over the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf. The Bomber Task Force is a rotational responsibility in which B-52 and B-1 bombers provide a deterrence against Iranian aggression in the region.
This year included a fighter escort provided by allied nations as well as the integration of the Special Operations C-130J Commando II which is specifically signed to insert Special Ops teams into combat.
These bomber exercises, "provide senior coalition leaders with strategic options to employ advanced conventional weapons," a DOD press release said. One recent example was back in February when two B-1B Lancer supersonic bombers struck Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Syria.
"This Bomber Task Force mission is aimed at building partner capacity," explained Maj. Gen. Mark Slocum, Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) deputy commander last year. "The Coalition conducts these integration events over partner nation airspace to expand our combined global reach and military power projection capabilities."
"Each mission of this length and complexity succeeds by the efforts of our professional Airmen around the globe," Maj. Gen. Slocum said. "From those who maintain or fly these bomber, tanker and fighter aircraft, to those behind the scenes who provide the weather forecasts and mission planning for this intricate sequence of escort and refueling across the region, each BTF we execute allows us to cooperate and practice key operational tasks with our partners."
In this year's exercise, the B-52 bombers flew from their current forward-deployed location at RAF Fairford in the United Kingdom.