A pair of US B-52 Stratofortress strategic bombers reportedly flew within 250 kilometers of Guangdong’s coastline in southern China on Tuesday afternoon, according to Taiwan media and Aircraft Spots, a Twitter group that tracks aircraft movement and the deployment of the US Air Force.
The two long-range bombers, bearing registration numbers 57-1454 and 60-0360 with call signs HERO01 and HERO02, were spotted above the Bashi Channel between Taiwan and the Philippines and were believed to have come from the US outpost of Guam.
The bombers flew westward into the northern portion of the South China Sea and circled for about an hour above the Pratas Islands controlled by Taiwan, about 340 kilometers southeast of Hong Kong, before following another zigzag path back to the Kadena Air Base in the US territory, as shown in flight tracks posted by Aircraft Spots. It is also believed that the two bombers conducted air-to-air refueling near Okinawa.
The Taipei-based Liberty Times noted that rarely had US strategic bombers been seen above the waters close to the Chinese shore, where People’s Liberation Army bombers and spy planes such as H-6Ks used to frequent the air routes, when Beijing dispatched squadrons of aircraft to circumnavigate Taiwan.
The paper said the flight route indicated the bombers could have been involved in a mock attack involving Tomahawk cruise missiles targeting Guangdong’s coastal areas.
The maximum hit radius of a Tomahawk cruise missile is 2,500km. If fired from the Pratas Islands, a large number of PLA military installations would be within range.
The emergence of the B-52s was a tacit message that the US would respond if Beijing were to continue with its breaches of Taiwan’s airspace, said observers.
It is discernible that Beijing has sought to penetrate the blockade of the so called Second Island Chain – formed by the Ogasawara Islands and Volcano Islands of Japan, in addition to the US territory of Mariana Islands – with retrofitted H-6K bombers with extended range, fitted with precision-guided munitions, such as the air-launched version of the CJ-10K land-attack missiles.
These missiles have an operational range of 1,500km and are capable of hitting targets in Guam if fired from H-6Ks above the waters off Taiwan’s Pacific coast.
Also, rumor has it that Beijing’s H-6Ks, with aerial refueling, could fly close to Guam for direct bombardment, though the somewhat antiquated Chinese bombers modeled on a Soviet design have no stealth capabilities and could easily be detected by radar in Taiwan, Japan and Guam.
China’s defense ministry is yet to respond to the possible intrusion of China’s air defense zone and it is unclear if Chinese radar was triggered or Chinese aircraft conducted an interception.
But Chinese news portal Sina noted in a commentary on Thursday that the bulky B-52 bombers were equally vulnerable to Chinese radar, airborne early warning aircraft and even the powerful S-400 Triumf anti-aircraft missiles imported from Russia.
Who are these morons trying to frighten? LOL!
China is simplyvtrying to project world ppwer but in reality, tjeir economy is very fragile. Their military hardware is not batyle tested while its generals have no battle experience. All their military hardware are simply copies from US and Russia.
CAN YOU IMAGINE THE ARROGANCE OF THE NEOCON ZIONIST REGIME IN WASHINGTON TO FLY THEIR NUCLEAR BOMBERS SO CLOSE TO CHINA .CAN YOU IMAGINE CHINAS FLYING THEIR BOMBERS OF THE CALIFORNIAN COAST OR THE GULF OF MEXICO??THE US. WOULD ATTACKED THEM IMMEDIATELY. TRUMP HAS NO IDEA AS TO WHAT THE AMERICAN MILITARY IS DOING. HE TRURNED OVER ALL OPERATIONAL DECISIONS TO THE PENTAGON 2MO AFTER HE WAS INNAUGURATED.
As both hegemonic powers piss away fuel.
I might add the following to the last statement, "in an attempt to prove which one has the biggest, more dominant economic penis."
A message to China on Taiwan? LOL. This is just for show, a late display to show that US is still around. Otherwise it is irrelevant. The US already lost South China Sea said US Admiral Davidson.
China will fail if all countries including the US, EU, Asean, India, Japan, Australia will bond together and sanction China. There will be total unrest to its labor force and chaos with mass demonstration in the streets. China is a purveyor of copy rights infringement. They destroy natural resources, pollute the air.
China is bluff try to cast first shot to US or tauwan let see whos land base back to ashes and blown planes in the sky.
If Republic of China in Taiwan is not able to protect Chinese territory from foreign war planes infrignment, it is time for Beijing to took back control of all out lying chinese territory including the Pescadores, Kinmen, and Taiping island.
It is time for China to calm down, take a deep breath, and solve its ENORMOUS internal problems.
Who? The world of course hiw about you? Fed up with your life you want to die if world war erupts?
Can you imagine your self with my fist in your face..?
An act of provocation or a reassurance to Tiawan which is feeling the heat of Chinese intrusion and aggressive postures.
no experience depense & offense
These girls should be wearing headscarfs….. trollops !
China is capable only of stealing technologies from US and Russia and robbing territories from Philippines, Vietnam and other Asian neighbors.
Roy Enriquez bro well said …..