Two U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bombers took off from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPH-H), Hawaii, to conduct routine training at Wake Island and in the vicinity of Hawaii, Sept. 14, 2018.

During the training, one B-2 conducted hot-pit refueling at Wake Island, a coral limestone atoll in the mid-pacific, west of Honolulu. Hot-pit refueling is a technique in which aircraft land and refuel without shutting down their engines.

“Hot-pit refueling allows us to maximize time in the air verses on the ground,” said Lt. Col. Nicholas Adcock, Air Force Global Strike 393rd Bomber Squadron commander. “It saves turnaround time. Practicing this technique helps us ensure our effectiveness as a force and keeps us ready, capable and lethal.”

Operating out of a location with limited infrastructure highlights the flexibility of U.S. forces in the Indo-Pacific to deter adversaries, and assure allies and partners.

“This deployment [and training] shows that the B-2 stealth bomber force can do more than operate from Whiteman Air Force Base,” Adcock said. “It shows that we’re adaptable enough to fly and strike from at home or abroad.”

The B-2s are deployed at JBPH-H from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, in support of the U.S. Strategic Command’s Bomber Task Force. This marks the first deployment of B-2s to JBPH-H, however the bombers regularly rotate throughout the Indo-Pacific to conduct routine air operations that integrate capabilities with key regional partners and familiarize aircrews with operations in the region.

These missions showcase the U.S. forces’ ability to address a global security environment and demonstrates U.S. commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.





