US Air Force flies B-52 bombers over South China Sea, where the Chinese has built islands equipped with military facilities in disputed territory
A pair of US B-52 bombers on a routine training mission flew in the area of man-made islands in the South China Sea created by the Chinese government
US and China’s neighbors do not recognize China’s claim on the islands that include the Spratly Islands
Earlier this month the US denounced China’s attempts to militarize the heavily trafficked area of the South China Sea
By JESSICA FINN
DAILYMAIL.COM
28 April 2018
The US Air Force flew bombers in a training mission over the South China Sea where the Chinese government has built build man-made islands, some of which are equipped with military facilities.
The islands are known as the Spratly Islands, which are a disputed territory. China has claimed them as their own, however their neighbors and the US does not recognize its claim.
The pair of US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bombers’ training exercise is part of what the US Air Force’s program known as the ‘Continuous Bomber Presence’ in the region, according to CNN.
The bombers took off from Anderson Air Force Base on the island of Guam.
‘Continuous Bomber Presence (CBP) missions are intended to maintain the readiness of U.S. forces,’ the Pacific Air Forces statement said, according to The Hill. ‘The U.S. Pacific Command’s CBP missions, which have been routinely employed since March 2004, are in accordance with international law.’
While the US does not typically get involved in territorial disputes, this particularly heavily trafficked waterway must remain open and unmilitarized.
The training exercise also involved F-15 Strike Eagle jets in the vicinity of Okinawa, Japan.
The bombers took off from Andersen Air Force Base on the island of Guam according to a statement from US Pacific Air Forces, which oversees air operations in the region. The flight also involved additional training with F-15 Strike Eagle jets in the vicinity of Okinawa, Japan. The training mission was part of the US Air Force’s routine ‘Continuous Bomber Presence’ in the region.
Concerns over China’s apparent attempt to control the South China Sea were expressed this month, when US military’s Pacific Command, Adm. Phillip Davidson told Congress that the country was using the islands for military purposes.
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