U.S. Bomber Task Force conducts naval mine exercise near Japanese islands
U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancers integrated with U.S. Navy forces in the Indo-Pacific for a naval mine exercise (MineX) off Okinawa, Japan, during a training mission originating from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, on October 24, 2022. The B-1 bombers, from the 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron (EBS), Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, arrived in Guam on October 18 for a Bomber Task Force (BTF) deployment.
BTF missions contribute to joint force lethality and deter aggression by demonstrating the bomber’s ability to rapidly deploy and operate anywhere in the world at any time in support of the U.S. National Defense Strategy, while providing lethal precision strike options for combatant commanders.
“MineX missions require close coordination and integration between the Navy and the Air Force,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Chris McConnell, 37th EBS commander. “As one of the aircraft capable of releasing mines, we have to work with our Navy partners to understand where those munitions need to be placed to meet the desired objectives.”
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device employed to destroy surface ships or submarines and to provide a low-cost, battlespace-shaping and force-protection capability. Mines may also be used to deny an enemy access to specific areas or channel them to desired locations.
A team of 28th Munitions Squadron weapons loaders and Sailors from Navy Munitions Command, Pacific Unit, Guam, armed the B-1B bombers with 21 Mark-62 Quickstrike naval mines, weighing about 226 kilograms each. The B-1s deployed the inert training mines into waters off Okinawa. (Pictured: U.S. Airmen with the 28th Munitions Squadron, Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, transport a Mark-62 Quickstrike naval mine to a B-1B Lancer on October 21, 2022, in support of a Bomber Task Force mission at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam.)
“Executing a MineX during a Bomber Task Force mission strengthens those ties through necessary integration training across the services to everyone involved in the process,” McConnell said. “From the Navy personnel building and delivering the munitions, to our weapons loaders ensuring they are loaded on aircraft properly, the aircrew and planners will execute the mission and fly alongside our Navy partners and allies.”
Four B-1B bombers also deployed to Guam in June 2022 to conduct missions, including aerial integration with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, and conducted a hot-pit refueling operation with the Royal Australian Air Force in eastern Australia.
“Bomber Task Force deployments and missions provide key assurances and cooperation with joint and partner allies in the region,” said Lt. Col. Daniel Mount, 37th EBS director of operations. “The B-1 is an especially capable platform in this region, being able to travel large distances and bear significant firepower with precision and standoff munitions.”
The 37th EBS conducts joint force exercises during BTF missions to enhance readiness and interoperability in support of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific.
IMAGE CREDIT: STAFF SGT. HANNAH MALONE/U.S. AIR FORCE
