Summary Three B-2 Spirit stealth bombers arrived at RAAF Base Amberley for training exercises. These deployments demonstrate US commitment to allies in the Indo-Pacific. US focusing on Great Power Competition, increasing presence in the region.
Three B-2 Spirit stealth bombers have landed at the Royal Australian Air Force Base Amberley near Brisbane as part of a Bomber Task Force deployment. This comes soon after Australia wrapped up hosting its largest-ever Exercise Pitch Black , which included 4,400 personnel and 140 aircraft from 20 countries (the US participated with F-22s, F-35s, and other aircraft). Three B-2 Spirit bombers arrive in Australia The US Air Force announced that the deployment at the RAAF Base Amberley began on August 16, stating, " The Pacific Air Forces look for every opportunity to train alongside our allies and partners to demonstrate interoperability and bolster our collective ability to support a free and open Indo-Pacific.
" It is unclear how long the bombers will remain in Australia, but Bomber Task Forces typically last two or three weeks. "This deployment is in support of Pacific Air Forces’ training efforts with allies, partners, and joint forces and strategic deterrence missions to reinforce the rules-based international order." - US Air Force According to Air and Space Magazine , the bombers were accompanied by two KC-135R tankers from the Illinois National Guard.
The publication also identified two of the aircraft as the Spirit of Arizona an.