USAF B-52 Flew a Nonstop Surveillance Mission Over Panama Canal

The 2nd Bomb Wing, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, flew a B-52 Stratofortress bomber on a nonstop mission from the United States to the U.S. Southern Command area of operations Aug. 12 during PANAMAX 2014 - an annual U.S. Southern Command-sponsored exercise series that focuses on ensuring the defense of the Panama Canal.
An almost entirely simulated exercise, the 15.5-hour long-range B-52 sortie, which originated at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, and ended at Barksdale Air Force Base, was the lone exception. Flown by the 96th Bomb Squadron, the seven-person aircrew exercised providing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support to forces defending the Panama Canal from a myriad of threats.
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