U.S. beefs up military units in the Pacific

[donsu]

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2005/05/06/200505060007.asp


The U.S. military is beefing up its military capabilities in the Pacific by deploying high-tech aircraft and Navy vessels amid worsening assessments of the prospects of an early solution of the North Korean nuclear standoff.

B-2 Spirit stealth bombers and F-15E fighter jets were deployed in Guam recently on a rotation basis. Experts noted the bombers and fighters have the range to strike North Korea's nuclear facilities and high-profile stocks of missiles in the event of any conflict.

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"Though the U.S. military says the deployments are part of rotations planned beforehand and unrelated to any particular threat, the updated capabilities as well as current military capabilities are remarkable," said a Korean military officer on condition of anonymity.

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Rice said on Monday that the United States "maintains significant deterrent capability of all kinds in the Asia-Pacific region" to thwart the communist state's nuclear ambitions.
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[true_notes]

1. In Europe...

The US Military is drying up, because of deployments to Iraq, and rotations to the Pacific. As of now there are minimum slots open to the European theater, and 1000's for the Pacific. If that's your only choice, where ya gonna go?

[bonzotex]

2. This bears watching

B-2s are high maintenance problem children. Deploying them outside their home bases for any significant amount of time is expensive and limits their use in other regions. Putting them in Guam cuts the flying time and tanker support required to get to Korea.

From the article:
"For the first time, a B-2 Spirit bomber squadron with stealth functions was deployed in late February for a two-month tour of duty at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam to enhance regional security in the western Pacific, according to U.S. Air Force officials. But the squadron is extending its stay for an indefinite time"

Guam is the preferred base for long range bombing missions against Korea. B-2s are one of the few planes that can operate against NK air defenses and they can carry precision conventional weapons and nukes. The F15Es, similarly capable though not a stealthy, are also penetration precision bombers, not air superiority fighters. This is a strike package, a big one.

This will be seen by NK as extremely provocative. It's also exactly what you'd want to do militarily both as a threat and to be ready for actual short notice operations.