Air Force sends B-2 Spirit stealth bombers to Australia for task force mission
By SETH ROBSON- STARS AND STRIPES
For the first time in over two years, American B-2 Spirit bombers have been deployed to eastern Australia as part of a bomber task force mission. An unspecified number of aircraft, along with support personnel and equipment, arrived at Royal Australian Air Force Base Amberley in Queensland on Friday, according to a U.S. Air Force statement. The B-2s were last deployed to Amberley in July 2022 for a similar mission. This latest deployment involves units from the 509th and 131st Bomb Wings stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri.
“This deployment supports Pacific Air Forces’ training efforts with allies, partners, joint forces, and strategic deterrence missions,” the statement explained.
Bomber task force missions are frequently carried out from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam and the Naval Support Facility at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. In March, two B-52 Stratofortress bombers were sent to Diego Garcia, and in June, a B-1B Lancer, operating from Guam, hit simulated targets at Pilsung Range, located about 100 miles southeast of Seoul, South Korea. The latest deployment to Australia reflects the U.S. military’s ongoing effort to disperse its forces in the region. In a potential conflict, U.S. bases in Guam and the Far East could be vulnerable to Chinese ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic missile strikes.
In Australia’s Northern Territory, nearly $450 million in U.S.-funded construction is underway at air bases, according to Pacific Air Forces Commander Gen. Kevin Schneider during a visit to RAAF Darwin in July. These projects include facilities to support rotations of U.S. B-52 bombers at RAAF Tindal, located 180 miles southeast of Darwin. However, Schneider noted that any bomber deployments would need approval from the highest levels of both the Australian and U.S. governments. Tindal and Darwin are also geographically closer to Manila by over 1,400 miles compared to Amberley. During the biennial Pitch Black exercise in July and August, Tindal hosted U.S. F-22 Raptor fighters, as part of drills that involved 21 nations, 140 aircraft, and over 4,400 personnel in both the Northern Territory and Queensland.
