During the many-hour flight on the bomber, one of the engines failed, but the crew successfully completed the mission of patrolling near the Russian Federation, China, Korea and Japan.
Strategic bomber B-52 Stratofortress — it is a symbol of the power of the American military. CNN journalists visited one of these planes during the mission. This is reported in the report.
Reporters showed the B-52 during an operation at the edge of the East China Sea as it turned northeast toward Alaska and Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. During the flight, which lasted 33 hours, the oil pressure rose on one of the bomber's engines. It is noted that this is not the first time the crew has encountered problems during the flight. They had previously had communication problems, and he had to make accurate fuel calculations on the 20,000+ km journey from Louisiana to Japan and back.
The bomber was piloted by Captain Jeanan Andrews and Captain Tramaine “Omaha” Barnett. There was also the crew's third pilot, Captain Sabine “Jett” Park, EW officer and weapons systems officer. After 14 hours of flight and almost 11,000 km of travel, the pilots decided to turn off the problematic engine. There were two B-52 Stratofortresses on the flight. The first landed in Japan, and flight MYLAR11, carrying journalists, continued its journey on seven of its eight engines. Built in 1961, the crew members are 10 years younger than the plane.
Journalists are calling the engine problem a reminder that the US military relies on the B-52, which first took to the air in the 1950s. . It is the primary strategic bomber of the US Air Force.
“If you go back and look at both the Russian national leadership and the Chinese national leadership, what are they responding to? We see them publicly commenting on our bomber task force missions, especially when they are involved in other public ways,” — says Major General Jason Armagost, commander of the 8th Air Force.
The journalists' flight started from the continental United States, to the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, then along the eastern coast of the Russian Federation and down near China and North Korea to South Korea . The B-52 was escorted by fighter jets during certain parts of the flight.
“Not only are we one of the most visible and flexible links in the nuclear triad, but it's also a very easy way for the Air Force and the US to reassure our allies. We have the B -52 where it is needed, when it is needed, within 48 hours”, — said Capt. Beau “NATO” Kane, a weapons systems officer on the flight.