Last week, the US B-2 Spirit stealth bombers flew to the Pacific to participate in the “Brave Shield 2024” large-scale joint exercise. The exercise took place near Guam, Palau, and the Northern Mariana Islands. This marked the first time in five years that the B-2 bombers landed in Guam to participate in exercises in China’s backyard.
According to a report by Theaviationist on June 20, two B-2A Spirit stealth bombers arrived at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam on June 13 (watch the landing video, click here), coming from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. They joined the F-22 Raptors and Marine Corps’ F-35B in the “Brave Shield 2024” exercise.
Images released by the US Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) showed the operations of the stealth bombers, including their landing at Andersen Air Force Base. The “Brave Shield 2024” exercise, which concluded on June 18, provided a platform for the US military to showcase its strategic capabilities.
The US Marine Corps emphasized the significance of the deployment of B-2 Spirit bombers, highlighting the speed, flexibility, and combat readiness of this strategic bomber in deterring potential adversaries and demonstrating unwavering support to allies and partners.
During the exercise, the US military also underscored the importance of maritime counteroffensive missions: “Maritime counteroffensive missions provide valuable training opportunities to enhance our interoperability and demonstrate our forces’ ability to operate decisively in response to any challenge at any time and place.”
Pacific Air Forces and Whiteman Air Force Base have not disclosed the details of the missions or training activities in which the B-2 bombers participated during the exercise.
In 2019, B-2 bombers conducted multiple missions over Europe, and in 2022, aircrews were deployed to Australia as part of the bomber task force. However, the B-2 bombers have not been stationed in Guam in the past five years.
According to Air Force and Space Force Magazine, the last recorded B-2 landing in Guam was in 2019.
The distance between Andersen Air Base in Guam and Japan and Taiwan is similar. The base serves as a hub for naval and Marine Corps forces in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, protecting the Pacific islands, including vital maritime routes, in the event of an invasion.
The deployment of B-2 bombers to Guam highlights the strategic role the island plays in US military operations in the Pacific. With increasing concerns over potential threats from China, the presence of B-2 bombers in Guam underscores America’s commitment to maintaining regional stability.
According to TheAviationist report, Andersen Air Force Base, together with RAF Fairford in the UK and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean British Overseas Territory, are the only three strategic locations outside the US mainland that can fully support B-2 operations. Andersen and Fairford are equipped with climate-controlled hangars similar to those at the base in Missouri, essential for protecting the stealth coatings on the aircraft.
It is worth noting that the US has strengthened its presence at Andersen Air Force Base by deploying B-1B bombers to support bomber task force missions in the Indo-Pacific region.
The US Air Force played a key role in the exercise, deploying a variety of assets. In addition to the B-2 Spirit stealth bombers, the Air Force also sent F-22 Raptors from Langley-Eustis Joint Base in Virginia and Elmendorf AFB in Alaska.
Furthermore, F-16 Fighting Falcons from Misawa Air Base in Japan, C-17 Globemaster IIIs from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey, and C-130J Super Hercules from Dyess AFB in Texas actively participated in the exercise.
The C-130J demonstrated endurance by conducting maximum endurance operations to reach the Pacific. Two C-130J transport planes equipped with conformal fuel tanks flew from Texas to Guam for 22 hours, with a brief stop in California, while other transport aircraft made strategic stops along the way.