US Bombers Show Up on Doorstep of Russia's Far East Flank
The United States has stationed a group of four supersonic B-1B bombers in northern Japan, which is located close to Russia's Far East, to "discourage aggression."
The deployment, known as the Bomber Task Force mission, enables the U.S. bomber fleet to maintain proficiency, enhance readiness, and strengthen integration with other American or coalition forces, the U.S. Eighth Air Force said in response to a Newsweek email inquiry.
Newsweek has also reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry for comment by email.
Japan, a key American treaty ally in Northeast Asia, is part of the First Island Chain under a U.S. maritime containment strategy, seeking to restrict Russia's military access to the Pacific Ocean. The U.S. military has deployed multiple air, ground and naval units across Japan.
The U.S. bomber force, consisting of the B-1B Lancer, B-2 Spirit, and B-52H Stratofortress, has been conducting Bomber Task Force missions through rotational deployments at American and allied air bases in the Pacific theater since 2018, strengthening deterrence in the region.
The Russian military operates near Japan frequently, where the two countries are separated by the sea. From April 2024 to March 2025, the Japanese fighter jets were scrambled a total of 237 times against Russian aircraft that were approaching the nation's sovereign airspace.
In a video released by the U.S. Pacific Air Forces on Wednesday, four B-1B bombers were seen parking at Misawa Air Base in Japan for the Bomber Task Force 25-2 mission on April 18.
The first pair of B-1B bombers arrived at the air base, which is located in the northern part of the Japanese main island of Honshu, on April 15 from their home station at Dyess Air Force Base in Texas. This marked the first rotational Bomber Task Force mission in Japan.
Three days later, the second pair of B-1B bombers assigned to Dyess Air Force Base were tracked flying off the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian Far East and heading toward Misawa Air Base. The U.S. Pacific Air Forces confirmed their deployment in Japan on Wednesday.
"The ability to operate from multiple locations gives our bomber forces a level of flexibility and allows commanders' to remain unpredictable," the U.S. Eighth Air Force said, adding that each Bomber Task Force mission's length and the number of bombers can be changed.
On Thursday, one of the deployed B-1B bombers participated in a large-scale training near the Japanese island of Okinawa with American and Japanese military aircraft, which aimed at strengthening their deterrence and response capabilities, the U.S. Pacific Air Forces said.
The B-1B bomber can carry up to 75,000 pounds of bombs and missiles, which is the largest payload of conventional weapons in the U.S. Air Force inventory. It has a maximum speed of Mach 1.2, traveling faster than the speed of sound, with an intercontinental flight range.
The U.S. Eighth Air Force said: "We can rapidly deploy and operate from traditional and non-traditional operating locations with varying levels of capacity and support. Any base our bombers do operate out of, allows us to test concepts and develop our tactics, techniques, and procedures to move faster, smarter, and more effectively."
The U.S. Pacific Air Forces said: "Bomber Task Force deployments familiarize aircrew with air bases and operations in different Geographic Combatant Commands' areas of operations. This deployment to Japan showcases the United States' commitment to the Indo-Pacific region and our Allies and partners."
It remains to be seen where the Japan-based B-1B bombers will conduct further training and exercises during this Bomber Task Force mission. Meanwhile, up to six B-2 bombers are deployed at Diego Garcia, an Indian Ocean island, amid rising tensions in the Middle East.
Related Articles
US Doubles Stealth Jets Presence Near ChinaUS Prepares South Korea To Face Nuclear Attack by NorthSatellite Image Shows Iran Reinforcing Nuclear ComplexChina Deploys Aircraft Carrier Group in Warning to US and Ally
2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Black America Web
32 minutes ago
- Black America Web
President Donald Trump Orders Bombing Of 3 Iran Nuclear Sites, Democrats Frozen Out From Intel
Source: HAYI / Getty After initially stating to mull the decision for a time, President Donald Trump ordered the bombing of three nuclear sites in Iran on Saturday (June 21), which has escalated the conflict to unprecedented levels. Top Democratic Party officials say that they were not briefed on President Trump's actions, and a national address from the former business mogul claimed a total annihilation of Iran's nuclear weapons production capabilities. As seen in an NBC News report, President Trump boasted of the bombing of three sites in Iran, Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan, which the administration framed as the epicenter of Iran's nuclear weapons production. This comes as the two countries are locked in a long-distance skirmish that has left over 400 dead in Iran and over 24 dead in Israel. 'We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan,' Trump wrote on Truth Social shortly after the attack. The move garnered praise from several GOP officials, including Speaker Mike Johnson, who stated that Congress would have taken too long to give its approval to Trump. Democratic Party Sen. John Fetterman praised Trump's actions, writing on X, 'Iran is the world's leading sponsor of terrorism and cannot have nuclear capabilities. I'm grateful for and salute the finest military in the world.' Fetterman's stance differs from those of his party, many of whom said that they were left out of briefing talks ahead of the strikes. Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican congressman out of Kentucky, called Trump's actions 'unconstitutional' via social media. Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia wrote on X of the bombing, 'The American public is overwhelmingly opposed to the U.S. waging war on Iran. And the Israeli Foreign Minister admitted yesterday that Israeli bombing had set the Iranian nuclear program back 'at least 2 or 3 years'. So what made Trump recklessly decide to rush and bomb today? Horrible judgment. I will push for all Senators to vote on whether they are for this third idiotic Middle East war.' House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York shared in a statement, 'President Trump misled the country about his intentions, failed to seek congressional authorization for the use of military force and risks American entanglement in a potentially disastrous war in the Middle East.' United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres also took to X to give a statement regarding the strikes: I am gravely alarmed by the use of force by the United States against Iran today. This is a dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge – and a direct threat to international peace and security. There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control – with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world. I call on Member States to de-escalate and to uphold their obligations under the @UN Charter and other rules of international law. At this perilous hour, it is critical to avoid a spiral of chaos. Source: Pool / Getty Late Saturday night, Trump was flanked by Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Jim Hegseth, and State Secretary Marco Rubio, praising the efforts of the military strike. 'I want to thank the Israeli military for the wonderful job they've done, and most importantly, I want to congratulate the great American patriots who flew those magnificent machines tonight and all of the United States military on an operation the likes of which the world has not seen in many, many decades,' President Trump said. On X, the reaction to the Iran bombing and the fear of retaliation cast gloom across the social media network. We've got reactions below. — Photo: Getty President Donald Trump Orders Bombing Of 3 Iran Nuclear Sites, Democrats Frozen Out From Intel was originally published on Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE
The Hill
33 minutes ago
- The Hill
Ex-ambassador to Russia: Putin, Xi will celebrate Trump's ‘preemptive war' in Iran
Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul warned on Saturday of how U.S. strikes on Iran could influence U.S. adversaries around the world. In an interview on MSNBC, McFaul said Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping would be glad to see the U.S. engaging in 'preemptive' strikes. 'I think we've really got to understand our other interests in the world that might be affected by this attack today. This is a preemptive war. The world does not support preemptive wars. We learned that in 2003,' McFaul said, referring to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, which was launched based on the theory that Saddam Hussein's regime had weapons of mass destruction and threatened America. 'Putin will be celebrating this because he did his own preemptive war in Ukraine and now it's like, well, this is just what great powers do. Maybe Xi Jinping is going to think the same. He's going to say, 'Well, if they can do it here, we can do it in Taiwan,'' McFaul added. Trump announced on Saturday evening that the U.S. had bombed three Iranian nuclear sites and said, 'NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!' McFaul, in the interview, said he wishes the president 'well' in his aim to bring about peace, saying that outcome is possible but not likely. 'I hope he can bring about an agreement as soon as possible. It's happened before — capitulation after an attack like this — so it could happen, but it's not what I'm predicting,' McFaul said. 'The idea that they will now sit down and negotiate with us some long-term deal in the immediate run, I think, is highly unlikely,' he added. McFaul said it's 'good news' that the U.S. strikes, according to Trump, 'totally obliterated' the Iranian nuclear facilities, saying, 'I applaud that.' 'That's good news for today, but we need to think about what are the first, second, third and fourth order consequences after this,' McFaul added. 'Most immediately, they are going to retaliate, and I hope we are prepared to prevent that and prevail against our forces in the region.'
Axios
38 minutes ago
- Axios
Trump administration says U.S. does not seek regime change in Iran
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters the U.S. war against Iran is "not open-ended" and is "not about regime change," stressing that Saturday's U.S. military strikes were strictly targeted at Iran's nuclear program. Vice President Vance flatly denied that the U.S. is at war with Iran, telling NBC's "Meet the Press" instead: "We're at war with Iran's nuclear program." Why it matters: President Trump and his top aides, including Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, have hailed the U.S. bombing of three Iranian nuclear sites as a "spectacular success." But the unprecedented U.S. strikes on Iran have plunged both countries — as well as Israel, the Middle East and the wider world — into a state of deep uncertainty and danger. "Anything can happen in conflict, and we acknowledge that. But the scope of this was intentionally limited," Hegseth said when asked if the U.S. was prepared for a "protracted" war. The "capabilities" of the American military, however, are "unlimited," Hegseth added — warning that Iran now has a "choice" on whether to pursue peace or escalation. Trump, Vance and Hegseth have called for Iran to come to the negotiating table and voluntarily renounce its nuclear program in order to bring an end to the fighting. Trump has also urged Iran not to retaliate, threatening "far greater" U.S. strikes if American assets or troops in the region are targeted. Zoom in: Hegseth and Caine detailed the extraordinary "Operation Midnight Hammer" in a press briefing at the Pentagon on Sunday morning. The "complex and high-risk mission" was carried out primarily by seven B-2 stealth bombers, each with two crew members, who flew 18 hours east from the U.S. and "linked up with escort and support aircraft," Caine said. Several B-2 bombers, which were detected by flight radar and reported by the media on Saturday, flew west from Missouri over the Pacific as part of a "deception effort." At approximately 6:40pm ET, or 2:10am Iran time, the lead B-2 bomber dropped two "massive ordnance penetrators" — 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs — on Iran's underground Fordow nuclear facility. The remaining bombers hit their targets with a total of 14 bunker-busters, with all three Iranian nuclear sites struck between 6:40pm ET and 7:05pm ET. Tomahawk missiles from a U.S. submarine also struck the Isfahan nuclear site. Caine said the U.S. is "unaware" of any shots fired at the strike team. Iran's fighters "did not fly, and it appears that Iran's surface-to-air missile systems did not see us," the general added. Between the lines: "This was largest B-2 operational strike in U.S. history, and the second-longest B-2 mission ever flown — exceeded only by those in the days following 9/11," Caine told reporters. State of play: All three targets sustained "severe damage," but the assessment to determine whether Iran still has some nuclear capability is ongoing, the officials said. Trump had claimed last night that Iran's key uranium enrichment sites "have been completely and totally obliterated." Hegseth said that the U.S. believes it "achieved destruction of capabilities" at Fordow — a facility built into a mountain and deep underground — but Caine cautioned that it's too early to tell the extent of the damage. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has threatened to respond with strikes against U.S. forces in the Middle East. Caine said that the U.S. is being "proactive, not reactive," when it comes to protecting and repositioning its assets in the region. "Ultimately, wherever it may be — whether it's in Iraq or Syria or bases in the Gulf .... it would be a very bad idea for Iran or its proxies to attempt to attack American forces," Hegseth warned.
