B-52s return to Pacific for routine Continuous Bomber Presence mission
Pacific Air Forces Public Affairs
/ Published January 16, 2018
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii (AFNS) -- Six B-52H Stratofortress bombers and approximately 300 Airmen from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, are deploying to Andersen AFB, Guam, in support of U.S. Pacific Command’s Continuous Bomber Presence mission.
The Stratofortresses, last deployed to the region in July 2016, will assume responsibility for USPACOM’s CBP operations near the end of January 2018 from the 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron B-1B Lancers, deployed from Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota.
During their deployment, the 37th EBS conducted a variety of joint and bilateral training missions with the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, Japan Air Self-Defense Force, South Korean air force and Royal Australian Air Force.
The B-52H’s return to the Pacific will provide USPACOM and its regional allies and partners with a credible, strategic power projection platform, while bringing years of repeated operational experience.
The B-52 is capable of flying at high subsonic speeds at altitudes up to 50,000 feet (15,166.6 meters) and can carry nuclear or precision guided conventional ordnance with worldwide precision navigation capability.
This forward-deployed presence demonstrates the continued commitment of the U.S.to allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region.
The employment of CBP missions in the USPACOM area of responsibility, conducted since March 2004, are in accordance with international law and are vital to the principles that are the foundation of the rules-based global operating system.