Minot-based B-52 trains with Colombian air force

The Air Force sent a B-52 to South America as part of a training mission with the Colombian air force on April 1 and 2.

The Stratofortress, from Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota, conducted a flyover at the Feria Internacional del Aire y del Espacio in Santiago, Chile — or the International Air and Space Fair, a massive week-long air show held every two years — after training with the Colombian air force, the Air Force said in an April 4 release. The nonstop, long-range training sortie lasted 27 hours.

"This bomber mission is just one of many demonstrations of our ability to maintain a credible strategic defense force," Adm. Cecil Haney, head of U.S. Strategic Command, said in the release. "Within the last year, U.S. Strategic Command bomber forces have conducted missions with Canadian, Colombian, Australian and Jordanian forces in national and international airspace. In addition to the outstanding training value realized by the U.S. and our partners, these missions demonstrate the credibility of our forces to address a global strategic and security environment that is more diverse and uncertain than at any time in our history."

The Air Force regularly holds training exercises with the Colombian air force — not only to sharpen airmen's skills, but also to help foster international partnerships between the two nations. For example, last March members of the 571st Mobility Support Advisory Squadron from Travis Air Force Base in California, traveled to Bogota, Colombia and observed as their airmen conducted an airdrop training mission.

And in August 2014, airmen with the South Carolina National Guard and their F-16 Fighting Falcons landed in Rionegro, Columbia, near Medellin, to hold a combined air operation engagement with Colombian airmen. During that mission, airmen from each nation shared tactics, techniques and procedures on issues such as defensive air operations, operations coordination and scheduling, and maintenance, so the two air forces can better work together in the future.

The release said STRATCOM "routinely displays its capability to command, control and conduct global bomber missions." For example, the release said, STRATCOM recently deployed B-52s to Europe and B-2 Spirits into the U.S. Pacific Command area of responsibility.