WAR DRUMS: US Preparing to Put Nuclear Bombers Back on 24-Hour Alert

WAR DRUMS: US Preparing to Put Nuclear Bombers Back on 24-Hour Alert

The U.S. Air Force is preparing to put nuclear-armed bombers back on 24-hour ready alert, a status not seen since the Cold War ended in 1991. That means the long-dormant concrete pads at the ends of this base’s 11,000-foot runway — dubbed the “Christmas tree” for their angular markings — could once again find several B-52s parked on them, laden with nuclear weapons and set to take off at a moment’s notice.


“This is yet one more step in ensuring that we’re prepared,” Gen. David Goldfein, Air Force chief of staff, said in an interview during his six-day tour of Barksdale and other U.S. Air Force bases that support the nuclear mission. “I look at it more as not planning for any specific event, but more for the reality of the global situation we find ourselves in and how we ensure we’re prepared going forward.” READ MORE

USS Ronald Reagan docks in South Korean port after large-scale drills

The nuclear-powered warship USS ‘Ronald Reagan’ has arrived in the South Korean port of Busan after joint drills, the US Navy said. Earlier Pyongyang described it as “a demonstration of the real strike” upon the North. The Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group which also included Destroyer Squadron (DESRON), Carrier Air Wing (CVW) and the guided-missile destroyers USS ‘Stethem’ and USS ‘Chafee’ docked in the port of Busan on Saturday, the US Pacific Fleet said in a statement. The group took part in
Maritime Counter Special Operations Force Exercise (MCSOFEX) that kicked off October 15 and ended this Friday. The massive exercises involved fighter jets, helicopters and naval ships and submarines from both countries. “The focus of the bilateral training exercise was to increase the readiness of US and Republic of Korea [ROK] forces and maintain stability on the Korean Peninsula,” the US Pacific Fleet added. READ MORE

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