ATAR, Mauritania — A recent U.S. Africa Command mission showcased power projection, multilateral cooperation and interoperability while supporting partner training in Africa.
On June 17, two U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress bombers executed a routine conditioning sortie over Atar, Mauritania as part of a trilateral partner training event with Mauritanian Air Force and Czech service members. This visible bomber presence demonstrates U.S. capability to project combat-credible airpower and serves as a credible deterrent in support of regional security and stability.
“This provided a great opportunity for us to build on the training we accomplished over the past year, and reinforce our strong partnership with Mauritania,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Justin Hoffman, U.S. Africa Command Director of Operations. “Events like this allow us to build interoperability with partners while demonstrating our nation’s global power projection capabilities.”
The flyover showcased seamless trilateral integration, with U.S., Czech, and Mauritanian forces coordinating on the ground below in a combined joint environment. U.S. Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs) synchronized air and ground operations with Mauritanian partners, while all three nations worked together to demonstrate the multilateral cooperation and interoperability essential for complex operations where precision coordination can mean the difference between mission success and failure.
Operating alongside international partners across Africa and around the world reinforces America's commitment to collective security and demonstrates the flexibility and global reach of U.S. forces. These combined engagements strengthen interoperability, build partner capacity, and ensure U.S. forces remain ready to address today's complex and dynamic security challenges together.
These missions enable U.S. and international partners to maintain a high state of readiness, interoperability, and proficiency, strengthening the ability of U.S. and international partners to address mutual security challenges and goals.
U.S. Africa Command, one of 11 U.S. Department of Defense combatant commands with an area of responsibility covering 53 African states, more than 800 ethnic groups, over 1,000 languages, vast natural resources, a land mass that is three-and-a-half times the size of the U.S., and nearly 19,000 miles of coastland. Working alongside its partners, AFRICOM counters transnational threats and malign actors, strengthens security forces and responds to crises.