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U.S. TO DEPLOY BOMBER SQUADRON IN GUAM: JAPANESE TV

Central News Agency

2005-06-01 19:24:00

    Tokyo, June 1 (CNA) The United States will deploy a bomber squadron in Guam to cope with contingencies or crises in the Asia-Pacific region, Japan's public television station NHK reported Wednesday.

    According to the NHK report, the squadron, to be stationed at the Andersen air force base, will be composed of some 70 aircraft, including bombers, jet fighters and unmanned reconnaissance planes.

    The report said the squadron will be able to use stealth bombers to enter any enemy country's airspace and destroy its important facilities with sophisticated weapons.

    According to the Pentagon plan, the report said, the squadron's 48 jet fighters and six bombers will be based on the U.S. mainland but will fly to Guam at regular intervals. The squadron's three unmanned Global Hawk reconnaissance aircraft and 12 strategic refueling planes will be posted at Andersen permanently.

    As part of the new deployment plan, Andersen staff will increase by 2,400 and new facilities will be built at the base. It will take several years to complete the deployment plan, the NHK report said, adding that an environmental impact evaluation survey is already underway. The number of military aircraft to be stationed at the base might also change in terms of the results of the environmental survey.

    The NHK report further said the Pentagon is undertaking a worldwide U.S. military re-deployment plan to cope with a reduction of U.S. troops in South Korea and the changing world situation, and that the Andersen bomber squadron deployment is part of that project.

(By Mike Chang and Sofia Wu)

ENDITEM/J