One picture captures the might of the US Air Force's bomber fleet in the Pacific

B-52 B-1 B-2 bomber deterrent nuclear pacific guam andersen air force base
B-52 B-1 B-2 bomber deterrent nuclear pacific guam andersen air force base

(The B-52, the B-1, and the B-2 (right to left) on runways at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam.US Air Force)

Deborah Lee James, the Secretary of the US Air Force tweeted a single picture on Wednesday that sums up the US's airborne leg of the nuclear triad.

The B-52, the B-1, and the B-2 simultaneously sit on runways at Andersen Air Force base in Guam, where the planes and their respective squadrons are currently carrying out operation Constant Bomber Presence in the Pacific. This picture shows the first time all three current US bombers have been in the Pacific at once.

With nuclear-capable, long range US bombers in the Pacific, the region has enjoyed relative peace and stability since the close of the Vietnam War. Now, as China threatens their neighbors with militarized island outcroppings, the US bomber presence is as important as ever.

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