Barksdale-based B-52s at Guam
On 16 April 2021, a Bomber Task Force (BTF) of four B-52H Stratofortress bombers arrived at Andersen AFB (Guam). This, as part of an ongoing demonstration by the US Air Force to show its ability to move strategic assets around the globe. The planes, from the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale AFB (LA), will operate in the Indo-Pacific and support Pacific Air Forces’ training efforts with joint forces and partners, the Air Force said in a statement on 17 April.
The 2nd Bomb Wing last deployed B-52Hs to Guam in February 2021. It’s unclear how long the current deployment will last. In 2020, the USAF ended its 15-year practice of keeping a continuous bomber presence at Guam in favour of a less-predictable deployment system using bomber task forces. The change aligned with the 2018 National Defence Strategy’s call for strategic unpredictability. BTF missions help maintain global stability and security while enabling units to become familiar with operations in different regions.
Bombers flying from Guam project US airpower in a region where China is flexing its increased military strength. In the South China Sea, for example, the US have conducted regular operations challenging Chinese territorial claims over international waters. In July 2020 the US State Department formally rejected China’s claims to islands and reefs in the South China Sea.
USAF Bombers, normally based in the US deploy cyclically to Guam. Adversaries “watch us come and go,” Pacific Air Forces commander General Kenneth Wilsbach said in a 9 September 2020 call with reporters. In 2020, the Air Force rotated B-52Hs, B-1B Lancers and B-2A Spirit bombers through Guam, putting them to work on exercises with the Navy and the Japan Air Self-Defense Forces (JASDF).
Photos: USAF