Long-range bombers capable of carrying up to 30,000kg of nuclear weapons has been sent by the US to its military hub in the western Pacific Ocean.
Andersen Air Force Base, in Guam, serves as a staging area for projecting power across the region as part of the Second Island Chain, a maritime chokepoint which deters potential Chinese naval expansion.
The US Pacific Air Forces confirmed that a Bomber Task Force (BTF) deployment of multiple B-52H Stratofortress bombers arrived at the air base on May 19, supporting strategic deterrence missions in the Indo-Pacific region.
The fleet’s arrival coincides with the US’ redeployment of its NMESIS ship-sinking missile system in the Philippines as part of strategic wargames involving the Philippines, South Korea, Japan and the UK.
The drills, named Exercise KAMANDAG 9, will run until June, focusing on the “global importance of maritime security,” as well as the value of building “multinational maritime domain awareness,” and a shared commitment to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, according to the US Marine Corps.
The US Air Force has sent its 2nd Bomb Wing, a B-52H bomber unit usually based at Louisiana’s Barksdale Air Force Base, posting a video indicating that an unspecified number of bombers have been deployed to Guam.
The video’s caption states that BTF missions provide opportunities to train and work with regional allies and partners across different combatant command areas of operations.
The Andersen Air Force Base hosted another deployment of four B-1B bombers earlier this year. These bombers are not nuclear-capable, like the B-52H, but can carry up to 75,000 pounds of conventional weapons.
As well as the capacity to carry up to 70,000 pounds of nuclear weapons, the B-52H features “worldwide precision navigation capability,” with a range of 8,800 miles and a top speed of 650 miles per hour.
No return date was been set for the B-52H bombers, but, speaking to Newsweek, the US Pacific Air Forces confirmed: “The BTF enables different types of strategic bombers to operate in the Indo-Pacific from a broad array of overseas and continental U.S. locations with greater operational resilienc. The US Air Force uses cutting-edge capabilities to integrate with other Department of Defense components, Allies, and partners in delivering air power worldwide.”
Tensions are currently running high with Chinese warships performing drills in the region as it continues to threaten an imminent attack on Taiwan.
“Bomber Task Force missions demonstrate the credibility of our forces to address a global security environment that is more diverse and uncertain than any other time in recent history,” the US Air Force 2nd Bomb Wing said.
