U.S. B-2 Spirit Stealth Bombers Deploy to Australia for Strategic Mission
Stars & Stripes
For the first time in over two years, U.S. B-2 Spirit stealth bombers have been deployed to eastern Australia as part of a strategic bomber task force mission. The aircraft, along with support personnel and equipment, arrived at Royal Australian Air Force Base Amberley in Queensland last Friday, according to a statement from the U.S. Air Force on Tuesday. The last deployment of B-2s to Amberley for such a mission occurred in July 2022. This month, the bombers were dispatched from the 509th and 131st Bomb Wings stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri.
These bomber task force missions are a regular occurrence, often operating out of Andersen Air Force Base in Guam and the Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. For instance, in March, two B-52 Stratofortress bombers were sent to Diego Garcia, and in June, a B-1B Lancer bomber, operating from Guam, conducted a simulated bombing run on Pilsung Range, located about 100 miles southeast of Seoul, South Korea. The deployment to Australia reflects U.S. military efforts to diversify and disperse its forces in the Indo-Pacific region, especially in light of potential threats from China, which could target U.S. bases in Guam and other locations with a variety of missile systems.
Meanwhile, nearly $450 million worth of U.S.-funded construction is currently underway at air bases in Australia’s Northern Territory, as confirmed by Gen. Kevin Schneider, Commander of Pacific Air Forces, during his visit to RAAF Darwin in July. The upgrades include facilities capable of supporting U.S. B-52 Stratofortress bombers during rotations to RAAF Tindal, located approximately 180 miles southeast of Darwin. Gen. Schneider emphasized that any such deployments would require coordination at the highest levels of both the Australian and U.S. governments. Notably, RAAF Tindal and Darwin are strategically located, being over 1,400 miles closer to Manila than Amberley. Recently, RAAF Tindal hosted U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor stealth fighters during the biennial Pitch Black exercise, which took place in July and August and involved 21 nations, 140 aircraft, and 4,400 personnel across the Northern Territory and Queensland.
