A pair of B-1B Lancer bombers from the U.S. Air Force made a historic visit to Turkey’s Incirlik Air Base. This visit comes during a period of strained relations between Turkey and Israel, with Turkish President Recep Erdogan escalating his criticism of the Israeli government and defending Hamas as a non-terrorist organization. The Pentagon’s Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS) highlighted that this visit included the first-ever “hot-pit” refueling conducted by the B-1 at the base. Although no photos were released by the Pentagon, local photographers captured the arrival of the B-1s in Turkey.
The B-1s are assigned to the 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron from Dyess Air Force Base in Texas, currently deployed to RAF Fairford in the United Kingdom for Bomber Task Force-Europe 24-1. They arrived at the English base on October 12, 2023. The visit to Turkey was part of a planned training mission for the Bomber Task Force.
Hot-pit refueling is not new for the B-1 fleet and other Air Force bombers. It involves keeping the engines running while the aircraft is refueled by ground crews, allowing for faster refueling and rearming during wartime. It also reduces the risk of component failures when restarting the engines.
During their time at Incirlik, the B-1s conducted a training mission with the Turkish Air Force, integrating with Turkish Air Force KC-135R tankers and F-16 Vipers. The training scenarios included Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) integration and close air support.
Incirlik Air Base, also known as the 10th Tanker Base, houses B61 nuclear bombs. However, the B-1s are not capable of employing these weapons. The presence of these nuclear weapons in Turkey has become controversial, especially after a failed coup attempt against Erdogan.
The visit of the B-1s to Incirlik Air Base demonstrates the Air Force’s ability to deploy these long-range strike assets to different locations worldwide, even in close proximity to conflict zones like Israel. It is also significant that the U.S. Air Force closely collaborated with the Turkish Air Force during this visit, considering the strained relations between Turkey and Israel, as well as Turkey’s opposition to Sweden’s NATO membership due to its alleged support for Kurdish militants.
While the visit was planned in advance, its symbolism and implications for U.S.-Turkish relations should not go unnoticed. President Erdogan’s recent statements criticizing Israel and defending Hamas, along with Turkey’s opposition to Sweden’s NATO membership, add another layer of significance to the event.
