Three B-2 bombers and 200 airmen from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri deployed to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on Jan. 10 to support US Strategic Command's Bomber Task Force mission.
Source: Pacific Air Forces
While B-2 bombers regularly rotate throughout the Pacific, having previously been deployed to Andersen Air Force Base on Guam, the most recent deployment marks only the second time these powerful stealth aircraft have been sent to Hawaii to drill alongside the F-22s.
The stealth bombers were deployed to the Pacific to send a message to allies and adversaries alike, specifically that "the B-2 is on watch 24 hours a day, seven days a week ready to protect our country and its allies."
Source: Pacific Air Forces
When the B-2s were first deployed to Hawaii last October, the US military stressed that the deployment highlighted the bomber's completely unmatched "strategic flexibility to project power from anywhere in the world."
Source: Air Force
The multi-role B-2 Spirit bomber has the ability to break through tough defenses, bringing a significant amount of firepower, both conventional and nuclear, to bear on enemy targets.
Source: Air Force
Despite its large size, the B-2's low-observable or stealth characteristics make it almost invisible to enemy radars, allowing it to slip past enemy defenses and put valuable targets at risk.
Source: Pacific Air Forces
The F-22 Raptor, an elite air-superiority fighter, which the Air Force asserts "cannot be matched by any known or projected fighter aircraft," is an extremely lethal aircraft capable of performing air-to-air and air-to-ground combat missions.
Source: Air Force
