Two US bomber jets penetrate Chinese air defence zone as Beijing’s navy mounts massive exercises
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The B1-B has the biggest payload of any bomber and is a departure from the fighter jets and spy planes the American forces have sent before on missions so close to the Chinese coast.
The US sent two long-range bombers into China’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ), according to the flight monitor Aircraft Spots.
The provocative flights took place while China was holding large naval exercises in the region.
Despite a stalemate with the transfer of power between President-elect Joe Biden and President Donald Trump, the USAF is continuing its missions in East Asia, as demonstrated by plane tracker Aircraft Spots' tweet Tuesday morning that two USA F B-1B bombers had allegedly flown into China's ADIZ.
The B1-B has the biggest payload of any bomber and is a departure from the fighter jets and spy planes the American forces have sent before on missions so close to the Chinese coast.
Such heavy aircraft are not known for being deployed on spying missions, suggesting that the US was sending a blunt warning.
The flight path shown by Aircraft Spots' tweet shows the last recorded location of the bombers being just inside China's ADIZ in the East China Sea.
(With inputs from agencies)