The US Air Force’s (USAF) six B-52H Stratofortress bombers are being deployed at Andersen Air Force Base (AFB), Guam, in support of the US Pacific Command’s (USPACOM) Continuous Bomber Presence (CBP) mission.
The bombers carrying around 300 airmen will fly to Guam from Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, US.
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Near the end of this month, the six B-52Hs will assume responsibility for USPACOM’s CBP operations from the 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron (EBS) B-1B Lancers, deployed from Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota, US.
The Stratofortress bombers were last deployed to the region in July 2016.
During their deployment, the 37th EBS carried out a wide range of joint and bilateral training missions with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, South Korean Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, the US Navy, and US Marine Corps.
The deployment of the Stratofortressess will provide USPACOM, as well as its regional allies and partners, with a credible, strategic power projection platform.
The bombers have the capability to fly at high subsonic speeds at altitudes up to 50,000ft.
They can also carry nuclear or precision-guided conventional ordnance with global-precision navigation capability.
The forward-deployed presence ensures the continued commitment of the US to its allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region.
Conducted since March 2004, the CBP operations in the USPACOM area of responsibility are in line with international law and are important to the principles that form the foundation of the rule-based global operating system.
