On October 1st, 1957, the Strategic Air Command commenced an overseas alert operation called «Operation Reflex» with twenty B-47 nuclear-capable bombers deployed to Sidi Slimane Air Base in Morocco. This number would greatly expand over the course of the operation and include many more bases, including Torrejón, Morón and Zaragoza in Spain. Reflex would rotate bombers and refueling aircrafts and crews to overseas bases where they would be disbursed away from CONUS and be whitin the striking distance of their targets. The Reflex mission ended on March 31st, 1965.
«Reflex» missions proved the long endurance (eighteen hours) and long range capability of the B-47 and aircrews. These were «simulated strike missions against the then Soviet enemy».
