B2s to Guam?

Channel A Top Ten News broadcast from South Korea routinely reports on what they consider to be significant military exercises and movements in the northeast Asian and western Pacific region. Today one of their podcasts over on youtube reported on a flight of B-2s arriving at Hickam AFB in Hawaii. They reported that the aircraft are expected to deploy to Guam. Movements of strategic bombers and other military assets in the region is something of a preoccupation of their analysts because of the ongoing tense situation with North Korea. The report said that 3 B-2s and four tanker aircraft were involved in the mission. The analysts speculated that the presence of four tankers was atypical and may imply the movement of additional aircraft. The movement of these aircraft will undoubtedly be affected to some extent by Typhoon Soulik and perhaps by Tropical Storm Cimaron currently in the western Pacific region.

The same broadcast also noted the departure of the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan from port in Japan on August 14, with a full load. They referred to their earlier reporting on the movement of the USS Michigan SSGN in and out of port in Japan in early August and the movement of special forces in the region.

The presence of the HMS Albion in Japanese waters with embarked landing forces was also noted by Channel A Top Ten News as preparation for a joint landing exercise with the Japanese Self Defense Force.

The next several weeks are going to include some significant diplomatic activity with respect to North Korea. Xi Jinping is expected to visit Pyongyang perhaps in conjunction with the September 9 celebrations of the 70th Anniversary of the foundation of the North Korean regime. This will be the first visit of a Chinese head of state to North Korea, since Hu Jintao's visit in 2005. President Moon Jae In of South Korea is also planning a meeting with Kim Jong Un, before the end of September. A visit to North Korea by US Secretary of State Pompeo was also anticipated in the near future. Meanwhile, the US and its allies are enforcing sanctions and maintaining significant military readiness in the region.