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B-52 aircrews hone long-range ISR capabilities during PANAMAX 14
Aircrews from the 2nd Bomb Wing, Barksdale Air Force Base, La., attend a step brief at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., Aug. 11, 2014. Following the brief, a B-52H Stratofortress and seven-person crew from Barksdale’s 96th Bomb Squadron, flew a nonstop, 15.5-hour round-trip intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission from the United States to the U.S. Southern Command area of operations as part of PANAMAX 2014, an annual, U.S. Southern Command-sponsored multinational exercise. PANAMAX 2014 is designed to develop and test participating nations' capabilities to respond and support a wide variety of air, land, sea, space and cyber missions as a unified force. For Air Force Global Strike Command, PANAMAX was an opportunity to familiarize aircrews with the U.S. Southern Command region and train in a unique mission set not normally associated with bomber operations. “The B-52 can be modified with additional equipment that allows it to be an especially valuable ISR platform because of its ability to conduct long-range surveillance flights,” said Lt. Col. Robert Bender, chief of AFGSC's Current Operations Branch. “PANAMAX is an excellent opportunity for our aircrews to exercise these capabilities in an operational training environment.” (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Rebecca Imwalle/ Released)