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Despite coronavirus! Japan, US flex their military muscle in South China sea

WION Web Team
New Delhi, Delhi, IndiaUpdated: May 04, 2020, 11:27 PM IST
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File photo of US warship. Photograph:(AFP)

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Japan is prepping to safeguard its turf with a hypersonic missile. It travels faster than five times the speed of sound and has been described as a game-changer.

The world is fighting a war against a deadly virus. It is a common enemy. But that doesn't mean old foes are forgotten.

Even in a pandemic, militaries around the world don't miss the change to flex their muscle.

The South China sea remains a battleground. Japan is prepping to safeguard its turf with a hypersonic missile. It travels faster than five times the speed of sound and has been described as a game-changer.

Reports say Japan plans to deploy it by 2026. The missile is being viewed as a direct threat to the Chinese navy in the South China sea.

Meanwhile, the US air force has sent B-1 bombers back to the Pacific island of Guam. It is being called a temporary deployment and comes just a few weeks after the bombers were pulled back.

For the first time in 16 years, the United States air force had no heavy bombers on Guam.

US pacific air forces have announced that four of the B-1s had arrived at the Andersen air force base on Guam. The forces said the bombers will carry out "strategic deterrence missions" in the Indo-Pacific region.

This is part of a plan to move the massive warplanes to spots around the world.

Why? To send out a message of "operational unpredictability''. In other words, to keep the enemy guessing.

How long the bombers will be stationed on Guam has not been specified. But as with most strategic moves. The timing here is crucial.

Just last week, Beijing announced it had 'expelled' a US guided-missile destroyer out of the South China sea.

Tensions have been escalating. It's not just the South China Sea dispute.

This military posturing also comes amid the raging blame game between the United States and China.

They are bombarding each other with accusations and threats over the pandemic.

There's a war of narratives and military posturing. Old conflicts-- that the Wuhan virus--- has failed to lockdown.