Pentagon Deploys Six B-52s to Diego Garcia Beyond Reach of Iran’s Ballistic Missiles - the Drive
The airbase on Diego Garcia, part of America’s sprawling military outpost in British Indian Ocean Territory, was once a bustling hub of bomber and tanker activity during the years that followed the beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Unbelievably, for years the U.S. the Air Force flew thousands of sorties from the remote locale some located 2,000 miles from Afghanistan and 3,000 miles from Iraq in what had to of been one of the most boneheadedly inefficient air combat operations of all time. Eventually, they realized basing these aircraft in the Persian Gulf, far closer to the action, would provide way more persistent combat capabilities, save lakes of jet fuel, and preserve precious flight time on America’s aging bomber fleet. Now, after its aprons stood largely empty aside from the regular logistical and sporadic global airpower flights, American bombers are heading back to the atoll, and for good reason—it’s out of reach of Iranian ballistic missiles.
…It wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t mention that some B-52Hs can also carry nuclear-tipped cruise missiles. It really isn’t relevant to the tactical picture when it comes to Iran, but it is to the strategic one. It is a glaring reminder to Tehran that the U.S. could do horrific amounts of damage with a single cruise missile volley if it wanted. It is well assumed that Diego Garcia is configured to handle nuclear weapons, unlike the Persian Gulf bases…
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