B-52 aircrews hone long-range ISR capabilities during PANAMAX 14

A B-52H Stratofortress returns home to Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, Aug. 12, 2014 following a 15.5-hour sortie from the United States to the U.S. Southern Command area of operations during PANAMAX 2014. An annual U.S. Southern Command-sponsored multinational exercise, PANAMAX focuses on ensuring the defense of the Panama Canal. “The Panama Canal is one of the most strategically and economically crucial pieces of infrastructure in the world,” said Col. Gregory Julian, U.S. Southern Command spokesman. “The 17 partner nations participating in this exercise benefit from the collaborative efforts to ensure the safety and security of the Panama Canal and this exercise is designed to test their responsiveness, foster cooperation, and increase interoperability among them.” The B-52 sortie, which originated at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, was the only live military asset used in the primarily simulated exercise. For Air Force Global Strike Command, PANAMAX provided an opportunity to familiarize aircrews with the region and train in long-range intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations – a unique mission set not normally associated with bomber operations. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Benjamin Gonsier)