The Air Force, for the first time in its history, has deployed its three bombers to the Pacific, all landing on the Andersen AFB, Guam, flightline. B-1s from Ellsworth AFB, S.D., deployed to Guam as part of the Continuous Bomber Presence rotation to the Pacific, replacing B-52s from Minot AFB, N.D., that were still on the flightline when the Lancers arrived, according to Pacific Air Forces. At the same time, three B-2s from Whiteman AFB, Mo., landed at Andersen for a short-term deployment. The Spirits are flying local and regional training sorties in the Pacific to “demonstrate our readiness and commitment to the Indo-Asia-Pacific region,” according to an Air Force release on the deployment. At the same time, Air Force Global Strike Command and US Central Command are working on a continuous bomber presence rotation to CENTCOM, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein said Wednesday. “We’re managing the bomber force not only for what we push forward, but also what we do from a global strike perspective from the United States.”
The U.S. supports “a stronger and more capable” European defense, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said during an Oct. 22 press conference in Brussels—but that defense should not duplicate the functions and capabilities of the NATO alliance.