Stealth Bombers Could Be Based On British Soil

Ananova ^ | 9-17-2002

[blam]

Stealth bombers could be based on British soil

The Pentagon may base B-2 stealth bombers on the British Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia.

It would be the first time the bombers have been based outside the US and would be seen as preparation for war on Iraq.

US military chiefs are reported to be considering the move and have reportedly discussed it with officials in the UK.

The bombers flew many round trip attack missions over Afghanistan from their home base in Missouri.

Basing the bombers at the Indian Ocean site would cut in half the distance they would have to fly to reach Iraq.

Because of the special maintenance required to preserve the B-2's radar-evading stealth qualities, climate-controlled shelters would have to be erected on Diego Garcia before the planes arrived.

Several officials say they are not certain whether the US has yet asked Britain, which controls Diego Garcia, for permission to build the B-2 shelters.

The New York Times reports the Pentagon wants to base four to six B-2s there.

Air Force B-1 and B-52 bombers have been allowed to use the island base to launch strikes in Afghanistan and B-52 bombers used the island during the 1991 Gulf War.

A spokesman for the Foreign Office said, "The issue of possible upgrades to facilities on Diego Garcia was discussed at annual talks between the UK and US governments. The details of these talks are confidential."

Story filed: 16:36 Tuesday 17th September 2002

[blam]

Saddle up boys.

[krb]

The bombers flew many round trip attack missions over Afghanistan from their home base in Missouri.

Damn

[cardinal4]

I have always been proud of the fact the B-2's were based in Missouri. I have heard that the only training,(recurrent,requal,etc,) is done in the simulators. Thats why the press is always hanging around in Knob Noster, MO. When they hear Spirits departing Whiteman AFB, they know somethings up. During Clintons terrorist protection bombing campaign, The B-2s would fly all the way from Knob Noster to the Balkans, drop their load and fly all the way back.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

They should move them away from the prying eyes of the press!

[hsmomx3]

Gosh, we're everywhere except on our own borders!

[SunStar]

The Pentagon may base B-2 stealth bombers on the British Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia.

Several officials say they are not certain whether the US has yet asked Britain, which controls Diego Garcia, for permission to build the B-2 shelters.

The press can't get anything right.

While the island is British territory, Diego Garcia is a joint USA/UK military base, and was built, and is operated, by both nations.

From InfoPlease.com
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/dg.html

Diego Garcia was developed as a joint U.S.-UK air and naval refueling and support station during the cold war. Located in the middle of the Indian Ocean and out of cyclone range, it was ideal for keeping an eye on the Soviet Union.

Diego Garcia proved to be critically important as a refueling base during the 1991 Persian Gulf War, and during Operation Desert Fox, it served as a base for B-52 bombers, which on Dec. 17, 1998, launched nearly 100 long-range cruise missiles aimed at Iraq. Beginning on Oct. 7, 2001, the United States again used Diego Garcia when it launched B-1 and B-52 bomber attacks against Afghanistan, in retaliation for the Taliban's harboring of Osama bin Laden, the alleged mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

We get to see plenty of A-10's flying training missions over the Lake of the Ozarks region but I've only seen a B-2 on one occasion, briefly from Interstate 70.
We could not hear it and after it attainted some altitude, it resembled (briefly) a black line in the cloud cover.

[KC Burke]

Spent quite a bit of time near to, and traveling past, Knobnoster last year. Saw a lot of flights, training and possibly otherwise, going in and out. Spooky flight characteristics...you know 'um when you see 'um.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

They should be called the "ultimate no-see-em's"

[PJeffQ]

Would those be the same A-10s that I saw and heard in 97 at Ft. Leonard Wood when i was at basic?

[NautiNurse]

[donozark]

My understanding was that sometimes the B-2s would stay over at Diego Garcia after completing bombing runs over Afghanistan-Tora Bora region,etc. They did not want them to stay there very long (on Diego), something about wind driven sand and/or salt spray? Afraid it would affect the plane's "fabric?"

I recall an amusing story about one crew that appeared in local newspaper. Pilots rotate. One bought a $9 lounge chair at K-Mart to sleep in while other flew. Gee, and how many Billions do these things cost?

[Noslrac]

Those boys are always flying... You just don't see them. I've noticed them many a time while sitting in a tree before light during deer season.

[KC Burke]

I thought it was the B1-B that used Diego, not the B-2

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

My understanding was that sometimes the B-2s would stay over at Diego Garcia after completing bombing runs over Afghanistan-Tora Bora region,etc. They did not want them to stay there very long (on Diego), something about wind driven sand and/or salt spray? Afraid it would affect the plane's "fabric?"

Only for crew change and perhaps hot refuelling. Every flight hour requires 60-80 man hours of maintenance most of which is required to repair the RAM.

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

They should be called the "ultimate no-see-em's"

"ultimate no-see-em's" shouldn't require two Marine Corps or Navy EA-6Bs to protect them from being detected by radar on every mission over hostile territory. The B-2 is a white elephant and an incredible waste of money.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I don't know much about it and am puzzled that it takes so much support (special hanger, etc).

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Not sure if this is correct, but someone here mentioned there are A-10s at two bases in the Show Me. They mentioned there are Army A-10's and Air Force A-10's. Could this be right ?

[donozark]

They used Diego Garcia much as a NASCAR driver uses a pit-stop. Much more can be found at invisble-defenders.org

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Google doesn't take you right to it for some reason.

Here is a direct link to the B-2 section: