Originally appeared at ZeroHedge
Coming as a likely surprise to US enemies and rivals at a moment regional tensions with China are once again on the rise, and just days after a major aircraft “elephant walk” show of force was conducted at Anderson Air Force Base in Guam, the Air Force has announced it will end its continues bomber presence in Guam.
This ends an ongoing bomber rotation since 2004, as The Drive reports: “Five B-52H Stratofortresses left yesterday with no replacement aircraft in place, bringing an end to what the service had called the Continuous Bomber Presence Mission.”
B-52 bombers at Guam, file image, Pinterest.
A US Strategic Command (STRATCOM) statement confirmed the bombers are now to be “permanently based in the United States” after returning to American soil.
“In line with the National Defense Strategy, the United States has transitioned to an approach that enables strategic bombers to operate forward in the Indo-Pacific region from a broader array of overseas locations, when required, and with greater operational resilience, while these bombers are permanently based in the United States,” STRATCOM said.
“U.S. strategic bombers will continue to operate in the Indo-Pacific, to include Guam, at the timing and tempo of our choosing,” the statement added.
Our diverse bomber fleet – B-52, B-1 & B-2 – allows us to respond to global events anytime, anywhere. Whether they’re launched from Louisiana, Guam, or the U.K., long-range strategic bombers have and will remain a bedrock of our deterrence! #DynamicForceEmployment pic.twitter.com/2dQmcNGOmw
— US Strategic Command (@US_Stratcom) April 16, 2020
Per Air Force Magazine, a major adjustment was expected:
The last deployment ended April 16, just three days after the elephant walk, as B-52s returned to Minot Air Force Base, N.D. The long-expected change comes as service leaders, including Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein and Air Force Global Strike Command boss Gen. Timothy Ray have said dynamic deployments of task force-size groups of bombers will be more effective in the future.
“Yes, we are absolutely adjusting our presence in theater when it comes to bombers,” Goldfein said April 1.
A separate STRATCOM statement late this week additionally said the bomber fleet allows the US to “respond to global events anytime, anywhere”.
USAF B-52Hs SEEYA01, 02, 03, 04 & 05 departed Andersen AFB, Guam en route home to Minot AFB, North Dakota. pic.twitter.com/woOBYDT8fq
— Aircraft Spots (@AircraftSpots) April 16, 2020
“Our diverse bomber fleet – B-52, B-1 & B-2 – allows us Whether they’re launched from Louisiana, Guam, or the U.K., long-range strategic bombers have and will remain a bedrock of our deterrence!” – the statement posted on Twitter said.
Prepping for Venezuela?
Good point, I was thinking maybe they were just withdrawing to avoid Chinese missiles before attacking but taking initiative and being decisive is out of character for them. Beating up on South Americans when you don’t have the balls to challenge the boogeyman though is as American as apple pie and school shootings.
There are plenty of American bases closer to China than Guam is. What are your Chinese missiles waiting for?
Civilised nations require there to be a war before they commit acts of war. I’ll forgive your ignorance because your butthurt indicates you are a Yank and as such you can’t be expected to know anything about civilised behaviour.
China commits acts of war every day against Vietnam, Fillippines, Indonesia, Taiwan.
China is the superpower,not usa (period) vietnam,phillipines,indonesia and taiwan are all part of strategic partnership to china,either way it was usa not china whom hit on communist nations in asia,such has never been forgotten lamestream,soros trolls,facists have no clue about the reality of asian (period)
Nam is allied with USA and Russia in South China Sea. Russia doesn’t support China’s ‘9 dash’ grab, they are Nam’s oil partners.
the 24 trillion USD debt will increase by 8-10 trillion as a result of amerikan covid chaos—soon they will no longer be able to afford their burgers and marijuana—while they spend more on their military than the next 14 largest military nations combined, they rely on stupefied obese incompetent soldiers and weaponry inferior to that produced by Russia, China, and in some cases, Germany, India, Iran, France, Korea…expected in a corrupt kleptocracy—-an empire on the verge of collapse
That was what USSR said every day, that American Imperialism is on the edge of colapse
China is the true owner of United States!..if you buy a Ibuprofeno or paracetamol pill in a drug shop in USA…both have been made in China!…like your car…your phone…computer..TV..microwave..baththermal..Induction cooking..etc..
And if you drink milk dirrectly from the cow’s tit, you’re son of the cow.
The ussr lives on and developed in all spheres of culture,were not in so much debt, The question remains how usa will cope once they divifeth amongs themselfs? Sure it won’t happen overnight,but it will happen one way or another,not all will be bad!
I don’t think you know what american ‘debt’ means
Neither cost-effective nor useful with 1960s technologies. That is slow and lumbering and easily shot down and that airbase in Guam will be littered with large craters in the opening minutes and be taken out with missiles from NK, China, Russia, etc. The only purpose it serves is to intimidate hapless defenseless countries.
Like yours
Tu-95s belong to the same class as B-52s. Tu-95s are now used for a missile launching platform from well out of ranges of anti aircraft missile defense.
Russia just discovered bombers can launch missiles too.
Methinks the Chinese (with the DPRK) probably have sent a very clear message to what will immediately occur if any U.S. orchestrated hostilities are to occur. (Iran’s Operation Martyr Soleimani against the U.S. bases in Iraq was a very good guide)
the b-52’s callsigns are SEEYA lmao too funny such a stupid name