[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Four US B-52H Bombers with 'Kim Jong-un Trauma' Deployed to Guam

US Pacific Air Forces Officially Announce Deployment
Attention on Whether US-ROK Joint Exercises Will Continue Following Last Month

Four B-52H strategic bombers of the United States were recently deployed to Guam. The deployment of four B-52Hs to Guam is interpreted as a strong warning signal in response to North Korea's reckless nuclear threats and successive provocations.

According to the U.S. Pacific Air Forces on the 5th, on the 30th of last month, four B-52H (Stratofortress) bombers from the 96th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron based in Barksdale, Louisiana, along with 210 Air Force personnel, were deployed to Andersen Air Force Base in Guam for a Bomber Task Force (BTF) mission. The deployment of B-52Hs to Guam appears to support training with allied, partner, and coalition forces as well as the U.S. Pacific Air Forces.

Earlier, it was revealed that two B-52Hs flew alongside Japan Air Self-Defense Force fighters over the East Sea on the 30th of last month, exposing their flight path and indicating the Guam deployment. On this day, the U.S. Pacific Air Forces officially announced the deployment of four B-52Hs.

The Pacific Air Forces explained that the BTF mission provides opportunities for cooperative training between the U.S. Air Force and air forces cooperating in the Indo-Pacific region, contributing to relationship enhancement by demonstrating the United States' commitment to regional security.

Lieutenant Colonel Vanessa Wilcox, commander of the 96th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, emphasized, "The Bomber Task Force, especially the B-52H, in the Indo-Pacific region sends an extremely significant message," adding, "It demonstrates the United States' ongoing readiness and commitment to ensuring freedom of movement and stability for allies in the region."

In 2013, when North Korea conducted its third nuclear test and tensions between the South and North escalated, South Korea and the United States deployed B-52s more than three times during the Key Resolve (KR) and Foal Eagle (FE) exercises to conduct training targeting simulated targets. At that time, B-2 stealth bombers also flew sorties over the Korean Peninsula. Kim Jong-un, Chairman of North Korea's National Defense Commission, urgently convened an operational meeting of the strategic missile units and ordered missile units to be prepared for immediate real combat launches in response to the B-2 stealth bombers entering the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea has shown sensitive reactions whenever B-52s appear over the Korean Peninsula. The reason for North Korea's sensitive response is the power of the bombers. During the Korean War, 98 U.S. B-29 bombers dropped 960 tons of bombs over 26 minutes on North Korean forces preparing for their final offensive. It is known that Kim Il-sung, the North Korean leader, mentioned, "Seventy-three cities disappeared from the map due to U.S. bombings, and only two buildings remained in Pyongyang."

The B-52 is classified as a long-range bomber. It can carry 75,000 pounds of bombs and has a range of 20,000 kilometers. The B-52 was developed in the 1950s during the U.S.-Soviet Cold War as part of a strategy to establish a "nuclear triad" of land (ballistic missiles), sea (submarine-launched cruise missiles), and air-based nuclear retaliation. It can carry 32 missiles equipped with nuclear warheads such as the AGM-129 and AGM-86. In essence, it is a nuclear weapon itself.

Attention is also focused on whether the B-52 deployment to Guam will include joint air exercises with South Korea. On the 6th of last month, the B-52 conducted training over the West Sea with South Korean Air Force F-15K and KF-16 fighters. The B-52, along with the B-1B and B-2, is one of the three strategic bombers and is capable of carrying nuclear weapons. It can carry up to 31 tons of bombs, including air-to-ground nuclear missiles with a range of 200 kilometers, and fly over 6,400 kilometers to bomb targets.