By ahead basing Mission Planning Cells at Nellis AFB, the ninth Bomb Squadron flew advanced strike missions on the Nevada Take a look at and Firing Vary from Dyess AFB.
At its first participation in Pink Flag in three years, B-1B Lancer bombers of the ninth Bomb Squadron (ninth BS) “Bats” from Dyess AFB, Texas, flew each day round-trip sorties to the Nevada Take a look at and Firing Vary from Jul. 21 to Jul. 25, 2025. The distinctive “hybrid operations” mannequin practiced throughout Pink Flag Nellis 25-3 demonstrated the ninth BS and its dad or mum seventh Bomb Wing’s (seventh BW) Dynamic Drive Employment (DFE) functionality.
The defining characteristic of the drills was that Mission Planning Groups (MPCs) had been situated at Nellis AFB, Nevada, as an alternative of the house base of Dyess AFB, complicating logistics and operations. Pink Flag Nellis 25-3, held at Nellis AFB from Jul. 21 to 31, is the most recent version of the U.S. Air Drive’s premier large-force fight coaching train, enhancing “integration and readiness throughout joint and allied forces in a contested atmosphere.”
The drills created a sensible risk atmosphere the place the bombers can be uncovered to enemy engagement whereas conducting sorties, a launch from the seventh Bomb Wing (seventh BW) mentioned. In a mannequin extra consultant of an precise Massive Drive Train inside the broad gamut of a DFE, the B-1B crews additionally coordinated with models from different bases, with whom they’d deploy throughout precise operations.
As The Aviationist has famous in earlier stories about USAF A-10 Warthog and F-22 Raptor deployments within the Indo-Pacific theater, DFE includes remaining strategically unpredictable by all of a sudden deploying to different personal or Allied bases, disrupting an adversary’s capability to reply rapidly and coherently.
The train
Based on the discharge, the “hybrid operations mannequin” concerned Dyess’ B-1Bs with “each day sorties flown from dwelling station whereas mission planning cell groups operated ahead from Nellis.” Based on ninth BS commander Lt. Col. Ashley Cook dinner, the most recent Pink Flag was a milestone not solely as a result of it was their first Pink Flag in three years, but additionally as a result of they launched fight energy flexibly from Dyess whereas seamlessly integrating with joint and coalition forces launching from Nellis.
Dyess’ B-1Bs first performed familiarization flights to the 12,000 sq. miles of airspace and a pair of.9 million acres of land of the Nevada Take a look at and Firing Vary, forward of the principle train window. These flights had been then adopted by each day mission profiles throughout “VULs” (vulnerability durations) of their hybrid operations mannequin. Whereas the bombers flew from their dwelling station, the Mission Planning Cells (MPCa) operated from Nellis.
At one level, throughout one of many flights to the NTTR, the B-1Bs landed at Nellis AFB for a hot-pit refueling. “Halfway by the train, B-1s landed at Nellis for hot-pit refueling and aircrew swaps, permitting a second MPC crew to plan and execute the ultimate part of the train,” mentioned the discharge.
That is much like the U.S. Air Drive’s ‘hub-and-spoke’ idea, which envisages models working out of a fundamental base, appearing as a ‘hub’ (on this case Dyess AFB), whereas fanning out throughout both smaller airfields or different bases, appearing as ‘spokes’ (on this case Nellis AFB). ‘Spokes’ might be inside the theater’s operational space and contained in the adversary’s A2/AD (Anti-Entry/Space Denial) weapons umbrella. It have to be famous that the discharge doesn’t make any express reference to ‘hub-and-spoke.’
It isn’t clear if any dwell fireplace part was concerned, and the photographs launched don’t present weapons being loaded into the B-1Bs’ inside bays. Nevertheless, since streamlining and honing the logistical ends of strike missions has been a significant focus of USAF workout routines, it’s probably Upkeep Squadrons and Munitions Airmen had a bigger position to play within the preparations at Dyess AFB.
Sizzling-pit refueling is now a routine characteristic in USAF drills, usually carried out as a part of Agile Fight Employment operations. Plane quickly refuel with out powering down their engines, decreasing the turnaround time to get again into the air, whereas additionally decreasing vulnerability to standoff strikes focusing on plane on the bottom.
The Whole Drive integration factor was represented by B-1Bs from the 345th BS, Dyess AFB’s Air Drive Reserve affiliate unit, additionally taking part within the train.
VULs and indifferent Mission Planning Cells
“Throughout Pink Flag, Dyess aircrews flew each day VUL sorties from Texas to Nevada, executing simulated strike missions in a contested, high-threat atmosphere,” the assertion defined. “VUL durations consult with probably the most susceptible phases of a mission, that are when plane are uncovered to simulated enemy engagement or actively conducting strike operations.”
A B-1B Lancer departs Dyess AFB to take part in Pink Flag 25-3. Any of the maintainers stand out!? #emblem pic.twitter.com/F3KQ7KVhuL
— Saint1 (@Saint1Mil) August 4, 2025
“The power to fly from dwelling station whereas executing superior planning with a dislocated MPC crew exhibits how we’re evolving to satisfy future fight eventualities,” mentioned Lt. Col. Cook dinner. “Workouts like this put together us to be extra agile to apply how we’d make use of towards immediately’s threats.”
Capt. Nicole Sorrells, a ninth BS flight commander, defined how counting on forward-based MPCs meant bomber crews and floor personnel needed to keep in mind every little thing from mission briefs, takeoff occasions, airspace management, whereas executing VULs from Dyess AFB. “The hybrid mannequin, with home-station sorties and distant MPC help, required exact mission timing and coordination between Dyess and Nellis,” the discharge added.
“The power to fly from dwelling station whereas executing superior planning with a dislocated MPC crew exhibits how we’re evolving to satisfy future fight eventualities,” mentioned Cook dinner. “Workouts like this put together us to be extra agile to apply how we’d make use of towards immediately’s threats.”
“This is without doubt one of the first possibilities our new aviators get to expertise a real Massive Drive Train,” additional added Capt. Sorrells, explaining the significance of Pink Flag. “It’s nothing like flying native sorties; we’re face-to-face with different squadrons and companions we’d deploy with. That’s the place actual integration occurs.”
Creative: even within the shiny metropolis lights, the afterburner stands out.
B-1 powering it up out of Nellis AFB, Nevada. 📷: NAFBpic.twitter.com/nBCgBRLsJ0
— Air Security #OTD by Francisco Cunha (@OnDisasters) August 4, 2025
Pink Flag 25-3 gave Dyess aviators the chance to fly each as ‘Blue Air’ and ‘Pink Air’, alternating between pleasant strike roles and simulated adversary missions, the discharge added. This means the B-1Bs might have performed the position of Russian or Chinese language bombers, conducting standoff air-launched cruise and ballistic missile strikes at Allied bases.
