A B-52 Stratofortress bomber parks at Yokota Air Base, Japan, Wednesday, July 12, 2023. (Kelly Agee/Stars and Stripes)
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — A B-52 Stratofortress bomber diverted to the home of U.S. Forces Japan in western Tokyo on Wednesday morning due to an in-flight maintenance issue
The aircraft, assigned to the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., arrived at Yokota at 10:22 a.m., according to an 11:06 a.m. post on the base’s website.
“It landed safely and without incident,” the post said.
The B-52 is in the Indo-Pacific region to support a training exercise, a Pacific Air Forces spokesman, Maj. Christopher Merian, told Stars and Stripes by email that afternoon. PACAF records show the last time a B-52 landed at Yokota was in 1989 during the Japanese-American Friendship Festival, he added.
The Yokota incident occurred a week after four B-52s arrived at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, as part of the Air Force’s ongoing bomber task force missions intended to project U.S. air power in the region. Those planes are assigned to the 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., PACAF said in a news release Tuesday.
The Minot-based 23rd Bomb Squadron has also deployed to Guam with four more Stratofortresses, Andersen’s 36th Wing said in an email Wednesday afternoon, without stating when those planes arrived.
In total, there are eight B-52s and 385 airmen deployed to Guam in support of the bomber task force missions, the wing said.
“Each mission flown further demonstrates our ability to provide agile combat ready forces and long-range strike capabilities to combatant commanders across the globe,” Lt. Col. Jared Patterson, the bomb squadron’s commander, said in the PACAF release.
The B-52s on Guam will train while integrating alongside allies and partners throughout the region, the release said.
“From those maintaining or flying these bombers to those behind the scenes enabling the mission, our ability to credibly assure Allies and deter adversaries requires every Airman out here,” Patterson said.
