B2s to Guam?

[soryang]

Channel A Top Ten News broadcast from South Korea routinely reports on what they consider to be significant military exercises and movements in the northeast Asian and western Pacific region. Today one of their podcasts over on youtube reported on a flight of B-2s arriving at Hickam AFB in Hawaii. They reported that the aircraft are expected to deploy to Guam. Movements of strategic bombers and other military assets in the region is something of a preoccupation of their analysts because of the ongoing tense situation with North Korea. The report said that 3 B-2s and four tanker aircraft were involved in the mission. The analysts speculated that the presence of four tankers was atypical and may imply the movement of additional aircraft. The movement of these aircraft will undoubtedly be affected to some extent by Typhoon Soulik and perhaps by Tropical Storm Cimaron currently in the western Pacific.

The same broadcast also noted the departure of the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan from port in Japan on August 14, with a full load. They referred to their earlier reporting on the movement of the USS Michigan SSGN in and out of port in Japan in early August and the movement of special forces in the region.



The presence of the HMS Albion in Japanese waters with embarked landing forces was also noted by Channel A Top Ten News as preparation for a joint landing exercise with the Japanese Self Defense Force.

The next several weeks are going to include some significant diplomatic activity with respect to North Korea. Xi Jinping is expected to visit Pyongyang perhaps in conjunction with the September 9 celebrations of the 70th Anniversary of the foundation of the North Korean regime. This will be the first visit of a Chinese head of state to North Korea, since Hu Jintao's visit in 2005. President Moon Jae In of South Korea is also planning a meeting with Kim Jong Un, before the end of September. A visit to North Korea by US Secretary of State Pompeo was also anticipated in the near future. Meanwhile, the US and its allies are enforcing sanctions and maintaining significant military readiness in the region.

[TexasTowelie]

1. I admit that DU doesn't get much news or information from the Pacific Rim

so thanks for providing the post.

I'll occasionally post threads about military activities in the Places Group. I keep up with Guam and the Northern Marianas Islands in the U. S. Territories Group so I'm aware of the heightened activity of the military monitoring both North Korea and China.

[soryang]

2. You seem to have a monopoly over there

I wasn't even aware of that board. I watch the Korean news every day, and pretty much stick to Korean broadcasts. It's just a hobby. I don't even report everything they say factually. I remember the old days when the Aviation Week used to be called Aviation leak but citizens should have a general idea of what's going on.

[Farmergene]

3. Please

I'm an old military guy, and it pains me to see troop and assett movements broadcast, whatever the media.

I realize others have reported this and it's a rebroadcast. But still.

There can be many reasons, especially foul weather, to move aircraft. If there are typhoons and such in the region, then of course they are being moved to safer ports.

[nitpicker]

4. A couple of storms are forecast to visit

Korea (one storm) and Japan (the other storm) this coming week.

Assets will be moved, just like on the East Coast when Isabel's clones try visiting Norfolk.

[Sherman A1]

5. This looks very much like routine deployments

and training cycles. It might be something along the line of ratcheting up pressure a bit, but as these things have to be planned well in advance I suspect it's nothing more than routine. Likely the only change is the press release announcing the "happy coincidence" of the timing.

We train, they train, we watch them, they watch us and the cycle continues.