B-52 bombers are on their way to Europe (RAF Fairford) and Guam in the first Bomber Task Force mission of the year. US bombers deploy to Europe several times a year but this deployment coincides with the escalating Russia-NATO crisis over Ukraine and naturally be seen as signal.
Here is one of them (61-0006), passing south of Iceland enroute UK.
Sure hope callsign HATE11 is a mistake.
The B-52 deployment comes only days after US proposal to Russia to discuss “nuclear risk reduction measures, including strategic nuclear bomber platforms.” elpais.com/infografias/20…
The three B-52s have arrived over UK, doing exercises over the east coast. HATE11 (61-0003), HATE12 (61-0018), and HATE13 (60-0044).
As for the callsigns, AFGSC, we need to talk! 😳
BUFFs over Britain.
Of the three B-52s, two are nuclear-capable (60-0044 and 61-0003). The third (61-0018) is among the 41 B-52s that have been denuclearized under New START treaty.
And here is the official confirmation that the US B-52H bombers arrived in the UK this morning. usafe.af.mil/News/Press-Rel…
Over the next weeks, they will fly missions across Europe.
Apparently there were four B-52 bombers landing at RAF Fairford today. I only saw three on the radars. @Saint1Mil has all four on video. We’ll see if more join over the next days.
Woodward/Costa book is as dramatic as it’s disconcerting. Trump was crazy, top official knew it & feared it, CIA head said US was on its way to a right-wing coup, CJCS Milley called China, and told US brass Trump couldn’t launch nukes without him. washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/… 👀
On nuclear launch authority episode, the book will likely reaffirm belief of some that presidential sole launch authority has adequate safety checks. But then why would Milley have to ask the launch officers to acknowledge he would have to be involved?
We shouldn’t have to be in this situation - ever! Current arrangement creates contradiction between civilian authority and military revolt needed to stop crazy President from launching nukes. Dissent should be civilian - 1-2 more votes - not military.
My assistant @mattkorda found it first. Thanks to @planet for satellite images.
@mattkorda@planet An 800 square kilometer grid of roads being filled in with silos and support facilities. Construction started early this year. fas.org/blogs/security…
@mattkorda@planet China has for decades maintained a policy of a “minimum deterrent” and not being part of an arms race. The scale of the current nuclear build-up appears to contradict both of these policies. fas.org/blogs/security…
1/n Wow: New report from @USGAO concludes: "every nuclear triad replacement program - including the B-21, LRSO, GBSD, and Columbia class submarine, and every ongoing bomb and warhead modernization program- faces the prospect of delays…” gao.gov/assets/gao-21-…
@USGAO 2/n These risks are not just about existing systems getting old but also about DOD/DOE planning overly aggressive timelines, workload from several concurring systems, and immature technologies.
3/n Check this out: Because of a requirement to have 400 ICBMs on alert, the Air Force "will be largely constrained to fielding GBSD into the 50 launch facilities with silos that are maintained empty” under New START!
Two B-52Hs from Minot AFB heading East disappeared from tracking radars as they crossed into Canadian airspace over Lake Superior. Another Middle East mission? Both aircraft (60-0026 and 61-0006) are among the 46 B-52Hs that are nuclear-capable.
One of them briefly reappeared on the radar north of Ottawa heading south toward US border. So this appears to be part of an exercise over North America. There has been some amazing tanker operations tonight.
@mattkorda One of the most surprising bits is the statement that "China probably maintains an operational nuclear warhead stockpile in the low-200s.” That’s less than the 290 we had at the end of 2019 (the data point for the DOD report). Possible reason: the term “operational."
Another surprise is 200 DF-26 IRBMs. Thast’s up from 80 last year! How is that even possible? Doesn’t fit the visible force structure. @dex_eve will have more to say about that.
Why are people who have been fighting arms control for decades suddenly so eager to advocate it?
This “thoughtful article” praised by Billingslea proposes to ban mobile ICBMs. That would eliminate 80% of Chinese and 60% of Russian ICBMs. US doesn’t have mobile ICBMs.
Don’t get me wrong, the article raises many important issues that a future treaty would have to consider. But in comparing START and New START verfication, the article skips over the W Bush administration’s 2002 Moscow Treaty, which did not have a verification regime.
The point that New START does not cover non-deployed warheads is of course relevant, but neither did START. In fact, it was under START that the US developed its “hedge” of what was later called the “responsive stockpile” of non-deployed warheads that could be uploaded.