Six U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress bombers and approximately 300 Airmen from Barksdale Air Force Base (AFB), Louisiana, are deploying to Andersen AFB, Guam, in support of U.S. Pacific Command’s (PACOM) Continuous Bomber Presence (CBP) mission.

The Stratofortresses, last deployed to the region in July 2016, will assume responsibility for U.S. PACOM’s CBP operations near the end of January 2018 from the 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron (EBS) B-1B Lancers, deployed from Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota.

During their deployment, the 37th EBS conducted a variety of joint and bilateral training missions with the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, Koku Jieitai (Japan Air Self-Defense Force), Republic of Korea Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force.

The B-52Hs return to the Pacific will provide U.S. PACOM and its regional allies and partners with a credible, strategic power projection platform, while bringing years of repeated operational experience.

The B-52 is capable of flying at high subsonic speeds at altitudes up to 50,000 feet (15,166.6 meters) and can carry nuclear or precision guided conventional ordnance with worldwide precision navigation capability.

This forward deployed presence demonstrates the U.S. continued commitment to allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region.

The employment of CBP missions in the PACOM area of responsibility, conducted since March 2004, are in accordance with international law and are vital to the principles that are the foundation of the rules-based global operating system.