US stealth bombers in Guam appear to be readying for a tactical nuclear strike on North Korea

[ABX]

The US has been quietly amassing firepower in the Pacific during a lull in tensions with North Korea, but recent developments on an under-the-radar nuclear weapon suggest preparation for a potential tactical nuclear strike.

The US recently sent B-2 stealth bombers to Guam, where they joined B-1 and B-52s, the other bombers in the US’s fleet...

https://americanmilitarynews.com/2018/01/us-stealth-bombers-in-guam-appear-to-be-readying-for-a-tactical-nuclear-strike-on-north-korea/?utm_medium=webpush&utm_source=push&utm_campaign=push

[Oceander]

If they were, I doubt if anyone would know about it. 

[driftdiver]

I spent some time there in the early 90s.   Im sure things have changed but we don't need B2s for a tactical nuclear strike.  The most impressive thing I ever saw was when they had 2 squadrons of f-16s doing a mock airbase attack.  Thats 32 F-16s on the runway at the same time.   They started rolling in rows of 4 and then took off in pairs.   All of them on afterburner at takeoff.

Seeing them come in on attack runs was truly awe inspiring.  I was standing on top of the HQ building about 100 yds from the runway.

[dfwgator]

Won't the island tip over?

[Sanguine]

If they were, I doubt if anyone would know about it.

Certainly we shouldn't know about it.

[driftdiver]

Won't the island tip over?

I thought it already did.

[skeeter]

Why nuke the north when a single application of VX facial cream will do the trick?

[WingNot]

Won't the island tip over?

Lets ask Hank Johnson.   Hank, What say you?

[ABX]

Why nuke the north when a single application of VX facial cream will do the trick?

Imho nuclear would be asinine. Not only due to the Norks preparing 50 years for it as digging in, but mostly due to the fallout in neighboring countries- one of the largest economic zones in the world.

I'm also pretty certain Congress wouldn't approve it.

[truth_seeker]

Lets ask Hank Johnson.   Hank, What say you?

Hank? He be one of three Buddhists in Congress. He also be the one after Cynthia McKinney to represent the district.

And finally Hank be a law school graduate. Oh, and....

"Johnson is married to attorney Mereda Davis Johnson; they have two children.[45]

In December 2009, Johnson revealed that he had been battling Hepatitis C (HCV) for over a decade, which resulted in slow speech and a tendency to regularly get "lost in thought in the middle of a discussion".[46] Johnson said that he learned he had the disease in 1998 but did not know how he contracted it. HCV-induced liver dysfunction often leads to hepatic encephalopathy, a cause of confusion. Symptoms are often reversible with treatment.[47] The disease damaged his liver and led to thyroid problems.[46] He was treated with a combination of ribavirin and interferon at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.[46] In February 2010, Johnson successfully completed an experimental treatment for Hepatitis C, which resulted in restored mental acuity, weight gain and increased energy.[48]"

[Sanguine]

Hank? He be one of three Buddhists in Congress. He also be the one after Cynthia McKinney to represent the district.

And finally Hank be a law school graduate. Oh, and....

"Johnson is married to attorney Mereda Davis Johnson; they have two children.[45]

In December 2009, Johnson revealed that he had been battling Hepatitis C (HCV) for over a decade, which resulted in slow speech and a tendency to regularly get "lost in thought in the middle of a discussion".[46] Johnson said that he learned he had the disease in 1998 but did not know how he contracted it. HCV-induced liver dysfunction often leads to hepatic encephalopathy, a cause of confusion. Symptoms are often reversible with treatment.[47] The disease damaged his liver and led to thyroid problems.[46] He was treated with a combination of ribavirin and interferon at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.[46] In February 2010, Johnson successfully completed an experimental treatment for Hepatitis C, which resulted in restored mental acuity, weight gain and increased energy.[48]"

Are you trying to imitate Buddhist speech patterns?

[driftdiver]

Imho nuclear would be asinine. Not only due to the Norks preparing 50 years for it as digging in, but mostly due to the fallout in neighboring countries- one of the largest economic zones in the world.

I'm also pretty certain Congress wouldn't approve it.

The main targets are inside large granite mountains.    You might bury the installations but you wont easily destroy them.

[thackney]

The main targets are inside large granite mountains.    You might bury the installations but you wont easily destroy them.

Video Shows Earth-Penetrating Capability of B61-12 Nuclear Bomb
https://fas.org/blogs/security/2016/01/b61-12_earth-penetration/

...The evidence that the B61-12 can penetrate below the surface has significant implications for the types of targets that can be held at risk with the bomb. A nuclear weapon that detonates after penetrating the earth more efficiently transmits its explosive energy to the ground, thus is more effective at destroying deeply buried targets for a given nuclear yield. A detonation above ground, in contrast, results in a larger fraction of the explosive energy bouncing off the surface. Two findings of the 2005 National Academies’ study Effects of Earth-Penetrator and other Weapons are key:

“The yield required of a nuclear weapon to destroy a hard and deeply buried target is reduced by a factor of 15 to 25 by enhanced ground-shock coupling if the weapon is detonated a few meters below the surface.”...

[driftdiver]

Video Shows Earth-Penetrating Capability of B61-12 Nuclear Bomb
https://fas.org/blogs/security/2016/01/b61-12_earth-penetration/

...The evidence that the B61-12 can penetrate below the surface has significant implications for the types of targets that can be held at risk with the bomb. A nuclear weapon that detonates after penetrating the earth more efficiently transmits its explosive energy to the ground, thus is more effective at destroying deeply buried targets for a given nuclear yield. A detonation above ground, in contrast, results in a larger fraction of the explosive energy bouncing off the surface. Two findings of the 2005 National Academies’ study Effects of Earth-Penetrator and other Weapons are key:

“The yield required of a nuclear weapon to destroy a hard and deeply buried target is reduced by a factor of 15 to 25 by enhanced ground-shock coupling if the weapon is detonated a few meters below the surface.”...

@thackney

yep, the Norks, chinese and russians all have that same info.

The norks use slave labor to dig their underground complexes.

[oldno7]

Lets ask Hank Johnson.   Hank, What say you?

In a leaked, breaking memo, from an undisclosed source, close to Mr. Johnson.

The leaked memo was addressed to Secretary Mathis:

Dear Secretary

Due to an obvious over site on my part, we recently overbuilt on the Northern side of Guam.

When you station your bombers in Guam, could you please taxi them towards the South to avoid any instance of tipover, of said, Guam.

Might I also suggest storing all munitions on same, as to avoid the known problem of Island reversal.

Your adherence to this request could save many lives.

Very truly yours

Hanker the tanker 

[Oceander]

I read elsewhere that the US is apparently moving some 30,000 pound conventional bunker busters out there as well; so if there’s a plan for an attack, it would most likely not be nuclear. 

[WingNot]

I read elsewhere that the US is apparently moving some 30,000 pound conventional bunker busters out there as well; so if there’s a plan for an attack, it would most likely not be nuclear.

I love the sound of a MOAB in the morning.

[edpc]

Imho nuclear would be asinine. Not only due to the Norks preparing 50 years for it as digging in, but mostly due to the fallout in neighboring countries- one of the largest economic zones in the world.

I'm also pretty certain Congress wouldn't approve it.

The CiC doesn't need Congressional approval to use nuclear weapons.  More likely, the forces are in place for a response strike, whether that's due to a launch at US and/or allied territory or a nuclear test over the Pacific.  As for fallout, Japan has been nuked three times......twice by us and once by their mishap at Fukushima.  They'll be fine.

[driftdiver]

I highly doubt a first strike nuke is planned.   The political consequences would be severe.  Additionally, it would add a great deal of uncertainty to foreign relations.   They could no longer trust that we wouldn't strike first.   Making it more likely they would strike first

[TomSea]

I highly doubt a first strike nuke is planned.   The political consequences would be severe.  Additionally, it would add a great deal of uncertainty to foreign relations.   They could no longer trust that we wouldn't strike first.   Making it more likely they would strike first