Two B-2s arrive in Diego Garcia with 2 more en route

[putnam6]

IIRC correctly if they move the B-2s forward they intend to use the B-2s

[Zaphod58]

There are at least three there, with one IFE in to Honolulu, with at least two more enroute. PITCH11/12/14 went into the base yesterday, with PITCH13 diverting to Honolulu with an undisclosed emergency. ABBA11 flight was today, at least two, but could be another group of four.  This is a Bomber Task Force mission, which routinely sends bombers to Diego Garcia, including B-2s. They'll perform some combat missions while deployed.

Edit- PITCH14 may have been an air spare, and returned to Whiteman. Four to five is a normal BTF deployment, and this is the right time of the year for one to take place.

[EXETER]

There are at least three there, with one IFE in to Honolulu, with at least two more enroute. PITCH11/12/14 went into the base yesterday, with PITCH13 diverting to Honolulu with an undisclosed emergency. ABBA11 flight was today, at least two, but could be another group of four.  This is a Bomber Task Force mission, which routinely sends bombers to Diego Garcia, including B-2s. They'll perform some combat missions while deployed.

Edit- PITCH14 may have been an air spare, and returned to Whiteman. Four to five is a normal BTF deployment, and this is the right time of the year for one to take place.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but when they have just one or two targets, they will often just fly out and back from Whiteman non-stop.  If they are basing a BTF in Diego, that implies a more sustained target set?

[Zaphod58]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but when they have just one or two targets, they will often just fly out and back from Whiteman non-stop.  If they are basing a BTF in Diego, that implies a more sustained target set?

They use Diego every few years for a B-2 BTF. They sometimes go Whiteman-Whiteman, other times Whiteman-Diego-Whiteman. The B-2s don’t like Guam, so they put them to Diego.

[Zaphod58]

ABBA flight is a flight of three. So once PITCH13 arrives, there will be seven aircraft on station. Large for a BTF, but not overly large. A standard BTF is 4 aircraft.

[Zaphod58]

Satellite imagery dated yesterday show three B-2s (PITCH11-12-14) on the ramp, with 7x KC-135s, a P-8A, and a C-17.