Pacific Perspective:B-2 Bombers to RAAF Amberley

On 10 July 2022,two B-2 Spirit strategic nuclear-capable bombers arrived at Royal Australian Air Force Amberley near Brisbane,Australia in support of a U.S. Pacific Air Forces Bomber Task Force deployment.The BTF manifests the Force Posture Agreement between the US and Australia,USPACAF said.By conducting training missions and strategic deterrence missions with Allies,Partners and Joint Forces,the cause of a free and open Indo-Pacific Region will be advanced.The B-2 deployment demonstrates and enhances the readiness and lethality of our long-range penetrating strike force,according to Lt.Col. Andrew Kousgaard,Commander 393rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron,the squadron which dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II.This deployment also implements the National Defense Strategy's objectives of strategic predictability and operational unpredictability.The BTF enables different types of strategic bombers to operate in the Indo-Pacific Region from a broad range of overseas and continental United States locations with greater operational resilience,USPACAF noted.* On 12 July 2022,two more B-2 Spirits arrived at RAAF Amberley.All four bombers are out of Whiteman Air Force Base,Missouri.Robust strategic relationships with Allies and Partners demonstrates US commitment to the collective defence of Indo-Pacific nations and bolsters the abiltiy of US Airmen to respond to crises.Thus the readiness of forces is enhanced,facilitating response to regional threats and upholding the international rule of law in the Indo-Pacific.Hot refueling,which is done with engines running,with Australian equipment and air-to-air refueling with Australian KC-130 tankers will be part of the BTF drills,developing the skills to effectively operate across the vast distances of the Region.* An RAAF spokeswoman said the deployment is part of the Enhanced Air Cooperation,one of the two elements of the Force Posture Initiatives (FPI) currently in force,the other one being Marine Rotational Force-Darwin (MRF-D).This air initiative involves rotational bomber and fighter aircraft deployments to Australia and has been operating successfully for several years.It also includes ongoing infrastructure improvements of RAAF air bases to handle new deployments of USAF B-2 bombers,as well as F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft and F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters.The upgrades will enable US aircraft to deploy effectively in a crisis such as conflicts with China and North Korea.Other upgrades are to carried out in Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianna Islands under the FPI. * The Government of Australia considers its Alliance with the US to be its most important Defence relationship,central to Australia's strategic and security arrangements.Thus the Australia-US Force Posture Initiatives were announced on 16 November 2011 by Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and US President Barack Obama.The first MRF-D was deployed in 2012.In 2014,the FPI were signed at Australia-US Ministerial Consultations.In 2015,the FPI went into force;and in 2017,the EAC commenced.