US Deploys B-1B Bombers to Guam

Bombers participated in joint operations with Japan en route

US bombers in Guam have tended to be used to threaten North Korea, and a new deployment this week sees a pair of B-1B Lancer bombers arriving in Guam, after a brief stop-off in Japan to participate in a joint exercise.

Though such bombers tend to be used for operations near North Korean airspace, officials are also emphasizing the US tensions with China in the South China Sea.  It’s hard to imagine that, with China’s substantial air defenses, these deployments would be likely to see use against them.

The South China Sea, however, seems like it’s going to be an ongoing issue, as the US insists that they will never accept Chinese claims on islands in the area. The Chinese, however, show no interest in giving up on any of those claims either.

The deployment of these bombers comes as the US has sent more forces into the area, with two carrier strike groups currently in the South China Sea.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.