By Staff Writer.
The USAF has deployed four Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit stealth bombers from the 509th Bomb Wing to the RAAF’s Amberley base as part of the Force Posture Agreement between the United States and Australia. The planes arrived at Amberley around a month ago and will remain stationed there until the end of August.
The deployment coincides with rising tensions in the Taiwan Strait, with Taiwan accusing China of simulating an attack on the country during China’s largest ever military drills in Taiwan’s vicinity over the weekend.
According to the USAF, the B-2s will conduct training and strategic deterrence missions with allies, partners, and joint forces.
The USAF has just 20 stealth bombers that are normally based at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri. The four bombers presently in Amberley are ‘Spirit of New York’ (registration 82-1068, callsign RAVE11); ‘Spirit of Ohio (registration 82-1070, callsign RAVE12); ‘Spirit of Arizona” (registration 82-1067, callsign RAVE21); and ‘Spirit of Alaska; (registration 90-0040, callsign RAVE22).
“The B-2 is a US deep penetrating bomber to deliver lethal ffects anywhere, anytime,” said USAF Commander John Aquilino, head of US Forces in the Indo-Pacific. “The tensions (in the Indo-Pacific) are increasing. Everyone sees it.”
The US last deployed the B-2 bombers to the Indo-Pacific in 2020. But one of the batlike planes did briefly touch down at Amberley in April. The distinctive planes are valued at more than US$2 billion each, and it is highly unusual for the USAF to deploy more than two at a time. US Pacific Air Forces KC-135 Stratotanker refuelling aircraft are supporting the B-2s at Amberley.
“This deployment is in line with the National Defense Strategy’s objectives of strategic predictability and operational unpredictability,” says a USAF statement.
“The Bomber Task Force enables different types of strategic bombers to operate forward in the Indo-Pacific region from a broad array of overseas and continental US locations with greater operational resilience.”
The USAF and RAAF want to use the B-2’s presence at Amberley to build “enhanced” interoperability between the two forces. The bombers were due to participate in the ADF’s Exercise Koolendong and Exercise Arnhem Thunder. As Chinese military activity intensifies around Taiwan, many observers also see the B-2s presence in the region as a message to China.
Capable of flying over 11,000 kilometres assisted by mid-air refuelling, the South China Sea is comfortably within the Amberley-based stealth bomber’s range.
“This deployment of the B-2 to Australia demonstrates and enhances the readiness and lethality of our long-range penetrating strike force,” says the USAF statement.
The stealth bomber’s temporary home in Queensland hasn’t gone unnoticed in China, with the pro-Chinese Government news outlet The Global Times referencing the planes and saying the “military presence of the US and its allies has almost filled up the Pacific Ocean region.”
Since that claim, China has conducted test launches of ballistic missiles over Taipei. Chinese and Taiwanese Navy vessels shadowed each other in the Taiwan Strait over the weekend while fighter jets patrolled overhead.
It’s not just air power the US has in the region over the weekend. Also in the vicinity of Taiwan is the guided missile cruiser, USS Antietam, the destroyer USS Higgins, the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli, and the Japan-based aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan.
