‘Routine deployment’ to be short-term, Strategic Command says
HAGÅTÑA, Guam (Pacific Daily News, August 10, 2016) – Three B-2 stealth bombers were deployed Tuesday from Missouri to Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, according to a military release.
The routine deployment of the bat-like bombers will be short-term, and will involve local and regional training missions, a statement from U.S. Strategic Command said.
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The deployment comes on the heels of the arrival of B-1B Lancers at Andersen. The Lancers — long-range bombers that were deployed to Guam for the first time in a decade — replace the aging B-52 bombers in Guam.
“Bomber aircraft provide the (U.S. Pacific Command) area of responsibility with an effective deterrent capability, ensuring the regional security and stability of the U.S. and our allies and partners,” Gen. Terrence O’Shaughnessy, Pacific Air Forces commander, said in the release. “These bomber deployments visibly demonstrate our readiness and commitment to the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.”
A B-2 has a wingspan of 172 feet, or more than half a football field, and a height of 17 feet, according to the U.S. Air Force. The bombers, which can fly up to 50,000 feet, are primarily stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri.
In 2008, a B-2 crashed while taking off from Andersen, according to news files. The crew members survived but the plane was lost.
The plane’s prime contractor is Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems Sector. [/restrict]