WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Missouri (AFP) - The United States will deploy B-2 Stealth bombers closer to the Gulf region, amid mounting pressure
on Iraq, to give US commanders greater fire power, a US Air Force commander said.

The Air Force B2 Bomber Wing, began practising Tuesday for the deployment to the British Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia and an
air base at Fairford in England, said Colonel Doug Raaberg, commander of the 509 Bomb Wing.

He did not say how many of the 1.1 billion dollar jets would be sent, but told reporters: "We will move this to a forward location so we can
cycle these aircraft as rapidly as necessary."

Raaberg said work was underway to install five special climate controlled shelters for the B-2s at Diego Garcia and Fairford. He said
it takes 30 days to put up one of the 1.5 million dollar shelters.

"We will go when the president and the secretary of defense tasks us to do that," said Raaberg.