Officially, the deployment is part of the US military's effort to maintain a "continuous bomber presence"
The B-52s and 300 airmen from Barksdale Air Force Base will replace B-1 bombers in Guam
WashingtonCNN
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The US Air Force has deployed six nuclear-capable B-52 Stratofortress bombers to Guam, according to US Pacific Air Forces, adding more firepower to the region just hours after North Korean state media mocked President Donald Trump’s tweet referencing the size of his nuclear button as the “spasm of a lunatic.”
B-52 bombers provide additional nuclear and conventional mission capability to a subtly growing American military presence in the region amid ongoing talks between North and South Korea.
Officially, the deployment is part of the US military’s effort to maintain a “continuous bomber presence” in the Pacific, but the timing coincides with ongoing talks between North and South Korea ahead of next month’s Winter Olympics.
The talks mark the most significant thaw in relations between the neighboring states in years, and the US remains cautiously optimistic that the dialogue could eventually provide fertile ground for diplomacy.
Washington and Seoul opted to postpone their annual military exercises until after the Olympics, but the Air Force said it will maintain “routine” fire power in the region even as talks are ongoing.
“This forward deployed presence demonstrates the US continued commitment to allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region,” the Air Force said in a statement.
Ongoing discussions between North and South Korea has not prevented Pyongyang from openly criticizing the US and President Donald Trump in recent days.
North Korean state media mocked Trump this week, calling his tweet about having a bigger nuclear button that Kim Jong Un the “spasm of a lunatic.”
Kim will likely also take issue with the US deployment of additional nuclear-capable bombers to Guam – a territory he has often threatened to target with a missile should the US provoke him.
But despite the recent cooling of tensions that has prompted talks between North and South Korea ahead of the Olympics, officials remain aware that Kim Jong Un still refuses to put his nuclear program on the table and understand that previous rounds of diplomacy have failed to bring about either denuclearization or a permanent peace treaty to formally end the Korean War (hostilities ended with a truce in 1953).
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and allies said Tuesday that the world community must continue to pressure North Korea to change its behavior, warning against complacency amid talks.
As Tillerson continues to push for a diplomatic solution, the US military officials is preparing for any conflict scenario by conducting mock missions and training exercises.
The B-52s and 300 airmen from Barksdale Air Force Base will replace the B-1 bombers currently stationed in Guam and join three B-2 stealth bombers that arrived at Andersen Air Force Base earlier this month.
While the B-1 Lancers are scheduled to return to their home base at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota at the end of the month, the Air Force said that the three types of US bombers will overlap in Guam for a few days.
The highly versatile, supersonic B-1 is considered the backbone of the US long-range bomber fleet and carries the largest conventional payload of any aircraft in the US Air Force.
But while it packs a punch, the B-1 remains disarmed of nuclear weapons – unlike the B-52 and B-2.
Defense Secretary James Mattis and other Pentagon officials have long warned that a military conflict with North Korea would yield devastating consequences and any strike option should only be considered once diplomacy is no longer possible.
Democratic Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico wrote a letter to Mattis last week to express concerns that the administration was considering a “bloody nose” strategy against North Korea in which the US would launch a preemptive military target strike.
Heinrich wrote: “In our eyes, a limited strike against even a single, military site could easily be perceived by North Korea as the opening salvo and a declaration of war. Even putting aside the myriad targeting challenges presented by North Korea’s missile and nuclear programs, we have no way of predicting the exact form of North Korean retaliation.”
But should the situation arise where the US must wage a military campaign on the Korean Peninsula, analysts have told CNN that B-2 and B-52 bombers launched from Guam – referred to as the “tip of the spear” – would likely be part of any first strike.
The B-2 is considered the Air Force’s heavy-penetration bomber and features low observable stealth technology designed to evade anti-aircraft defenses.
A long-range heavy bomber, the B-52 can perform a variety of missions but is a significantly older aircraft than the B-2.
It is capable of flying at subsonic speeds and can carry nuclear or precision guided conventional ordnance.
The Air Force said the B-52’s will provide “regional allies and partners with a credible, strategic power projection platform.”
Additional bombers are not the only pieces of US military hardware to arrive in the Pacific in recent weeks.
Earlier this month, the military boosted its stealth attack options in the Pacific when the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp moved into the 7th Fleet area of operations.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
Master Sgt. Greg Steele/U.S. Air Force
B-52 Stratofortress —
The first versions of this long-range heavy bomber flew in 1954. A total of 744 were built, the last of those in 1962. The Air Force maintains 58 B-52s in the active force and 18 in the Reserve. A single B-52 can carry 70,000 pounds of mixed munitions, including bombs, missiles and mines. The eight-engine jets have a range of 8,800 miles.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
U.S. Air Force/Senior Airman Nicole Sikorski
C-130 Hercules transport —
A C-130J Super Hercules from the 37th Airlift Squadron flies over Normandy, France, June 3, 2015. First delivered to the Air Force in 1956, the C-130 remains one of the service's most important airlift platforms. More than 140 are still in active units, with more than 180 in the National Guard and a hundred more in the Reserve. The C-130 is powered by four turboprop engines.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
U.S. Air Force
AC-130 gunships —
The AC-130H Spectre and the AC-130U Spooky gunships are designed for close air support, air interdiction and force protection. Armaments on the Spectre include 40mm and 105mm cannons. The Spooky adds a 25mm Gatling gun.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
Justin Connaher/U.S. Air Force
F-22 Raptor —
The twin-engine F-22 stealth fighter, flown by a single pilot and armed with a 20mm cannon, heat-seeking missiles, radar-guided missiles and radar-guided bombs, can perform both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. The service has 183 of the Raptors, which went operational in 2005.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
US Air Force/Airman 1st Class Elijah Chevalier
The single-engine F-35A is the Air Force's eventual replacement for the F-16 and the A-10. The supersonic jets, which will be able to conduct air-to-air and air-to-ground attacks, are just beginning to enter the Air Force fleet. Here, an F-35 Lightning II from the 34th Fighter Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, flys at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, April 15, 2017.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
Master Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald/USAF
B-2 Spirit bomber —
The four-engine B-2 heavy bomber has stealth properties that make it hard to detect on radar. Flown by a crew of two, it has an unrefueled range of 6,000 miles and can deliver both conventional and nuclear bombs. Twenty B-2s are in the active inventory. They joined the fleet in 1997.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
Airman 1st Class James L. Miller/USAF
B-1B Lancer bomber —
The four-engine jet can fly at 900 mph and carry the largest payload of bombs and missiles in the Air Force inventory. The Air Force has 62 B-1Bs in the fleet.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
Airman 1st Class Chad Warren/USAF
F-15 Eagle —
The F-15 Eagle, the Air Force's main air superiority fighter, became operational in 1975. With a crew of one or two, depending on the model, the twin-engine jets are armed with a 20mm cannon along with Sidewinder or AMRAAM missiles. The Air Force lists 249 F-15 Eagles in its inventory.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
U.S. Air Force/FILE
F-15E Strike Eagle —
The Strike Eagle is a version of the air superiority fighter adapted to perform ground-strike missions. With a crew of two, the twin-jet can carry and deploy most weapons in the Air Force inventory and operate in any weather. The F-15E was first delivered in 1988. The Air Force lists 219 in its fleet.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
U.S. Air Force/FIle
A-10 Thunderbolt —
The A-10 Thunderbolt jets, nicknamed "Warthogs," are specially designed for close air support of ground forces. Key to their armaments is a 30mm Gatling gun. The pilot is protected from ground fire by titanium armor, and the plane's fuel cells are self-sealing in case of puncture.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
U.S. Air Force
RC-135U —
The RC-135U Combat Sent, based at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, provides strategic electronic reconnaissance information to the president, secretary of defense, Department of Defense leaders and theater commanders.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
Airman 1st Class Jeffrey Schultz/USAF
An F-15 Eagle takes off from the Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, flight line as two E-3 Sentries are seen in the background.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
USAF/Getty Images North America/Getty Images
OV-10 Bronco —
A 21st Tactical Air Support Squadron OV-10 Bronco aircraft fires white phosphorus rockets to mark a target for an air strike during tactical air control training.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
Airman 1st Class Dillian Bamman/USAF
A-29 Super Tucano —
An A-29 Super Tucano taxis on the flightline during its first arrival, Sept. 26, 2014, at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. Afghan Air Force pilots trained on the planes that will be used in air-to-ground attack missions in Afghanistan.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
Master Sgt. Keith Reed/USAF
KC-135 Stratotanker —
The four-engine KC-135 joined the Air Force fleet in 1956 as both a tanker and cargo jet. It can carry up to 200,000 pounds of fuel and 83,000 pounds of cargo and passengers in a deck above the refueling system. More than 400 of the KC-135s are flown by active, Air Guard and Reserve units.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
Master Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald/U.S. Air Force/File
F-16 Fighting Falcon —
The single-engine jet is a mainstay of the Air Force combat fleet. It can perform both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions with its 20mm cannon and ability to carry missiles and bombs on external pods. More than 1,000 F-16s are in the Air Force inventory.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
SSgt Sean M. Worrell/USAF
C-17 Globemaster transport —
The four-engine jet joined the Air Force fleet in 1993 with a primary mission of troop and cargo transport. Each plane can carry up to 102 troops or 170,900 pounds of cargo. The Air Force has 187 C-17s on active duty, 12 in the Air National Guard and 14 in the Reserve.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
Jason Minto/US AIR FORCE
C-5 Galaxy transport —
The C-5, with a wingspan of 222 feet, a length of 247 feet and a height of 65 feet, is the largest plane in the Air Force inventory and one of the largest aircraft in the world. The first versions of the four-engine jet joined the force in 1970. The Air Force expects to have 52 versions of the latest model, the C-5M, in the fleet by 2017.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
U.S. Air Force/Staff Sgt. Markus Maier
CV-22 Osprey —
The Osprey is a tiltrotor aircraft that combines vertical takeoff, hover and landing qualities of a helicopter with the normal flight characteristics of a turboprop aircraft, according to the Air Force. It is used to move troops in and out of operations as well as resupply units in the field. The Air Force has 33 Ospreys in inventory.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
US Air Force
E-3 Sentry AWACS —
AWACS stands for airborne warning and control system. This four-engine jet, based on a Boeing 707 platform, monitors and manages battle space with its huge rotating radar dome. The planes have a flight crew of four supporting 13 to 19 specialists and controllers giving direction to units around the battle space. The Air Force has 32 E-3s in inventory.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
Brian Dyjak/USAF
KC-10 Extender —
Based on the DC-10 passenger jet, the triple-engine KC-10 is a gas station in the sky with the ability to carry 75 people and 170,000 pounds of cargo. In its six tanks, the KC-10 can carry up to 356,000 pounds of fuel and dispense it while airborne. The Air Force has 59 KC-10s on active duty.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
Master Sgt. Lance Cheung/USAF
T-38 Talon —
The twin-engine jet trainer, used by the Air Force to prepare pilots for the F-15E Strike Eagle, F-15C Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, B-1B Lancer, A-10 Thunderbolt and F-22 Raptor, first flew in 1959. Almost 550 are in the active force.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
USAF/Getty Images
U-2 —
The single-engine, single-pilot U-2 is used for high-altitude reconnaissance and surveillance. Flying at altitudes around 70,000 feet, pilots must wear pressure suits like those worn by astronauts. The first U-2 was flown in 1955. The planes were used on missions over the Soviet Union during the Cold War, flying too high to be reached by any adversary. The Air Force has 33 U-2s in its active inventory.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
U.S. Air Force/Josh Plueger
WC-135 Constant Phoenix —
The four-engine WC-135 is used to fly through airspace to detect the residue of nuclear blasts. "The aircraft is equipped with external flow-through devices to collect particulates on filter paper and a compressor system for whole air samples collected in holding spheres," the Air Force says. It has two of these jets in the active force.
The 40,00-ton, 844-foot-long Wasp is essentially a baby aircraft carrier. Built in 1980s, it has been upgraded to deploy new Marine Corps F-35B stealth fighter jets.
The fifth-generation fighter jets are seen as a major advantage for the United States in any contingencies involving North Korea as they are undetectable by Pyongyang’s radars.
The Wasp will be based in Sasebo, Japan, and become the flagship of the US Navy’s Upgunned Expeditionary Strike Group in the Pacific, the service said. It replaces the USS Bonhomme Richard, which has not been upgraded to handle the F-35s.
Meanwhile, more than 6,000 sailors assigned to the Carl Vinson Strike Group left San Diego earlier this month for a regularly scheduled deployment to the Western Pacific, according to the US Navy.
Led by the 97,000-ton aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, the strike group includes a guided-missile cruiser and two destroyers in addition to the accompanying air wing.
CNN’s Elise Labott and Brad Lendon contributed to this report.