On October 28, local time, North Korea again launched two ballistic missiles in the direction of the Sea of Japan. The situation on the peninsula has continued to heat up recently, and the U.S. Air Force is also unequivocal. A large-scale air force joint military exercise will be held during the 4th of May, when the two sides will send about 250 fighters of various types. B-1B Lancer strategic bomber deployed by the U.S. Air Force to the Guam region.
The B-1B is the second most advanced strategic bomber in the United States, but it has not been popular in recent years. The older and more backward B-52 bombers have been frequently upgraded, and recently they are ready to be replaced by Rolls-Royce. The new engine, but the more advanced B-1B “Lancer” has been reduced to almost obsolete, what’s going on?
The B-1B was born during the Cold War. Using variable swept wing technology, it can not only ensure the range, but also has supersonic penetration capabilities, mainly dealing with the Soviet air defense network at that time. But now it’s a bit more embarrassing. The five generations of aircraft in the world today all have supersonic cruise capability, and the B-1B’s supersonic penetration capability cannot be revealed. The B-52 has low cost of use and maintenance, simple structure and easy maintenance. After the upgrade, it has the ability to strike outside the defense zone, making it easier to use. The B-2 bomber also has a strong stealth capability that the B-1B does not have. At present, the US military The B-52 strategic bomber is expected to serve until around 2050, while the future of the B-1B is less clear.
This time, the B-1B “Lancer” strategic bomber of the 37th Expeditionary Bomber Squadron of the US Air Force was deployed to the Guam area, and the main task was to deal with North Korea. Recently, the situation on the peninsula has continued to heat up. North Korea has frequently launched ballistic missile tests, and the US-South Korea intelligence organization believes that North Korea may hold its seventh nuclear test in the near future. If the peninsula changes, the B-1B strategic bomber deployed on Guam can be deployed in the shortest It takes time to respond, and the Guam region is far from the Asia-Pacific region, so the deployment will not easily arouse the disgust of China and Russia.
However, before this deployment mission, a training held by the crew members and ground staff of these B-1B “Lancer” strategic bombers has caused doubts from the outside world. On October 21, these B-1Bs of the 7th Expeditionary Bomber Squadron held mine warfare training at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota, mounting MK-62 mines, which are not one of the B-1B strategic bombers. This kind of common mounting method allows the B-1B “Lancer” strategic bomber to block a large area of the sea in a short period of time. If it is a strategic deterrent to North Korea, it should carry various precision-guided weapons and long-range cruises. Missiles are right, why carry so many mines?
As we all know, North Korea’s economy is relatively closed and does not depend on overseas routes. Various types of ships of the North Korean Navy can pose a great threat to South Korea as long as they operate near the peninsula. If it is to block North Korean waters with mines, the first The unfortunate one may not be North Korea but South Korea. Because South Korea’s import and export trade is very developed, it is obviously not worth the loss to block North Korea with mines.
Using the famous B-1B “Lancer” strategic bomber to walk mines is somewhat like killing a chicken with a knife, but the US Air Force has hinted that this is called “Bomber Task Force MineX” (Bomber Task Force MineX)” The US Air Force’s B-1B strategic bomber is nominally intended to deter North Korea, but it is still targeting China in secret. After all, the current Chinese Navy’s There has been a huge increase in power, plus China has a long coastline and also plays an important role in the global supply chain, so blocking our sea routes can really work well.
But does the U.S. really dare to do this? China’s surrounding coastline is complex, and maritime traffic is frequent. For example, in the South China Sea, a large number of merchant ships from all over the world pass by here every day. Moreover, Chinese manufacturing plays an extremely important role in the world. In recent years, global commodity prices have risen, chip shortages and energy problems have become prominent. Once the Chinese supply chain is lost, the global industry will be affected. Blocking popular waters?