Three Generations of Bombers Over Guam

"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn) 08/18/2016 at 17:09 • Filed to: planelopnik

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On August 17, three generations of USAF bombers—a Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, a Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit, and a Rockwell B-1B Lancer—all lined up at Anderson AFB in Guam and took off together. After doing a flyby of the base, the three bombers, operating together for the first time, left to carry out a joint mission over the South China Sea and Northeast Asia, in a demonstration clearly aimed directly at the Chinese and their increasing influence in the region. No word on whether or not the Chinese were suitably impressed.

US Air Force photos

RallyWrench > ttyymmnn 08/18/2016 at 17:14

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Not a trio you’d want to see overhead in any other circumstance.

Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch > ttyymmnn 08/18/2016 at 17:17

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I’m impressed, if that means anything :)

Viggen > ttyymmnn 08/18/2016 at 17:18

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Curious if they’ve got aircraft prepped for alert and MITO departures. See the KC-135R parked at the second pad. Maybe they are?

ttyymmnn > Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch 08/18/2016 at 17:18

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What’s even more impressive is that the Buff will likely still be flying when the B-1 and B-2 are retired.

ttyymmnn > Viggen 08/18/2016 at 17:19

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I saw the 135, but I don’t have an answer to your question. I doubt they are at the same level of readiness as they were during the Cold War, but I would also bet that they could get bombers in the air in a hurry if they had to.

Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever > ttyymmnn 08/18/2016 at 17:20

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If they weren’t impressed, I’m sure the cumulative payload of those three could’ve helped with some “grading” or “excavation” work on their new man made island.

armandthegreat > ttyymmnn 08/18/2016 at 17:21

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Shouldn’t they be over ar-Raqqa, not Guam? Gee, the Air Force sure does love playing with its toys. Not like we are in a war or anything....I wonder how much this photoshoot cost.

Viggen > ttyymmnn 08/18/2016 at 17:21

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Oh there’s no way that Global Strike Command operates at the same level Strategic Air Command did.

Le May must be spinning in his grave.

ttyymmnn > armandthegreat 08/18/2016 at 17:26

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The photo shoot probably cost them a few gallons of fuel, and a bit for the photo plane. They were already gassed up for the mission. And in the game that is being played in the South China Sea, showing off the big stick to the other side is every bit as important as dropping bombs on the bad guys in Afghanistan, etc. I think we’ve got enough to go around for both missions (though not enough F-22s, but that is a different discussion), and the missions are of equal importance.

ttyymmnn > Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever 08/18/2016 at 17:27

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Certainly enough to make a few new swimming pools for the Chinese soldiers workers.

Viggen > Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever 08/18/2016 at 17:31

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Oh certainly. And that doesn’t even require the nuclear options, which would really help excavate the islands.

Except for the BONE which hadn’t had NUC capability since the end of the Cold War.

BorkBorkBjork > Viggen 08/18/2016 at 17:34

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My father was in SAC, on a KC-135, and the stories he tells about life on “Alert” are pretty nuts. In many of the bases he was stationed at, Russian Sub-Launched Ballistic Missiles were the biggest threat. Best case scenario, you had 15 minutes warning before the missiles would strike the base. That means in 15 minutes you had to run from the alert facility, man you aircraft, get it fired up, take off, and be out of blast-range. Bombers had first dibs on the runways, and during drills the KC-135s would take off on the Taxiway as they had clearance.

Standing orders were to give as much fuel as possible to B-52s returning from the Soviet Union, then ditch into the North Atlantic when your tanks ran dry.

People say the world is dangerous today, but back then...

armandthegreat > ttyymmnn 08/18/2016 at 19:23

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The sea already belongs to China, US is all talk. They should focus the war machine where it is needed. The ‘pivot’ to East Asia is all bullshit and a huge waste of money.

wafflesnfalafel > ttyymmnn 08/18/2016 at 22:23

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I just want to see the missing “fourth generation” we don’t know about yet...

ttyymmnn > wafflesnfalafel 08/18/2016 at 23:06

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The Powershift in Steve's '12 Ford Focus killed it's TCM (under warranty!) > ttyymmnn 08/19/2016 at 10:18

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While I doubt the Chinese were impressed, I’d bet Kim Jong Un threw a hissy fit.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > armandthegreat 08/19/2016 at 11:30

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No. These types of weapons do nothing against ISIL. They are very effective against a conventional army like the PLA though.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > ttyymmnn 08/19/2016 at 11:34

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If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.