U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa
SETAF-AFRICA
Two U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancers from 7th Bomb Wing, conducted a Bomber Task Force Mission in support of Exercise African Lion 2023 (AL23) June 16, 2023. The bomber task force mission included a low-approach fly over in addition to close air support training with the Moroccan military at and around the TanTan Training Complex.
Exercise African Lion 2023 is U.S. Africa Command's largest annual combined, joint exercise that took place in Ghana, Morocco and Tunisia from May 13-June 18, 2023. AL23 provides an opportunity to conduct realistic, dynamic and collaborative readiness training in an austere environment that intersects multiple geographic and functional combatant commands including U.S. Africa Command, U.S. European Command, and U.S. Central Command; as well as strategic maritime choke points and global shipping lanes.
This year’s exercise features multiple combined arms live fire exercises; a maritime exercise; an air exercise with U.S. C-130J Super Hercules, KC-135 Stratotanker, F-16 Fighting Falcons and B-1B Lancer bomber aircraft; a joint forcible entry with paratroopers into a field training exercise; two chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear response exercises; and three humanitarian civic assistance program events.
The B-1B carries the largest conventional payload of both guided and unguided weapons in the U.S. 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 in the world, at any time.
The Bomber Task Force Mission demonstrates that U.S. crews can maintain a high state of readiness and proficiency, validating the United States’ always ready, global strike capability. The aircraft are based out of Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, and forward deployed to Royal Air Force Fairford, United Kingdom.
U.S. Strategic Command bomber forces regularly conduct combined theater security cooperation engagements with allies and partners, demonstrating the United States’ capability to command, control and conduct bomber missions across the globe. Bomber missions demonstrate the credibility and flexibility of our forces to address today’s complex, dynamic and unpredictable global security environment.
