Stratofortresses were last here 12 years ago
Skyfest 2010 attendees enjoy the shade of a visiting B-52's wing at Fairchild.
FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE -- Four B-52H Stratofortresses are here through Aug. 19 to participate in the Agile Combat Employment exercised.
The bombers from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana arrived Tuesday, Aug. 16. They are the first B-52H aircraft to participant in Fairchild drills since the runways were refurbished 12 years ago, officials said.
The bombers are not new to Fairchild.
In 1957, Fairchild was home to about 45 B-52s, which remained until 1993-94 when the base was officially redesignated as the 92nd Air Refueling Wing.
ACE exercises are used to test and improve U.S. Air Force airpower survivability and to boost capability and resilience in contested environments, officials said.
Airmen will test their agility and adaptability as they use the new boarding cargo system, or BOCS concept, to validate fixing the bombers with only tools and parts available in the system.
The BOCS is a system designed by the Boeing Co. that allows the bombers to carry two units of cargo with each capable of holding 5,000 pounds of equipment.
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