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US B-1B Lancers conduct Bomber Task Force mission in Eastern Europe

U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancers from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, and currently deployed to RAF Fairford, United Kingdom, conducted a Bomber Task Force mission, collaborating closely with fighter jets from NATO Allies the Czech Republic and Hungary over Eastern Europe on Oct. 26, 2023.

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Photo by: USAFE-AFAFRICA Public Affairs 

U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancers from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, currently deployed to RAF Fairford in the United Kingdom for Bomber Task Force 24-1, performed the first-ever hot-pit refueling at Incirlik Air Base, Türkiye, Tuesday.

Hot-pit refueling, a practice in which a plane is refueled while its engines are running, allows an aircraft to reduce time spent on the ground and get back in the air faster.

By honing hot-pit refueling procedures and leveraging the advantages it offers, the U.S. and its Allies fortify their combat readiness across the European theater. This notable event marks the first B-1 hot-pit refueling in Türkiye and underscores the strong ties between the U.S. and Türkiye in the NATO Alliance.

Before the aircraft touched down at Incirlik, the aircraft integrated in training missions with Turkish Joint Terminal Attack Controllers and conducted close air support training with Turkish F-16 Fighting Falcons.

The intent of these long-planned bomber task force missions is to demonstrate the U.S.’s readiness to support geographic combatant command objectives and showcase the nation’s ability to project U.S. airpower around the globe.