A pair of nuclear-capable B-52 bombers were tracked taking off from the U.S. territory of Guam and rounding the southern part of the Philippines Thursday, one day after President Joe Biden underscored support for the U.S. ally amid heightened tensions between its coast guard and Chinese forces in nearby waters.
In the latest escalation in the South China Sea, most of which China claims as its territory, Chinese coast guard and Maritime Militia vessels on Sunday attempted to block Philippine ships from resupplying a marine outpost on the disputed Second Thomas shoal. The resulting collisions damaged a supply ship and a Philippine coast guard escort, sparking a diplomatic uproar in Manila.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had not responded to Newsweek’s request for comment by publication time.
“I want to be very clear: The United States’ defense commitment to the Philippines is ironclad,” Biden said at the White House Tuesday during a joint press conference with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. “Any attack on the Filipino aircraft, vessels, or armed forces will invoke our mutual defense treaty with the Philippines.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning on Thursday responded to Biden’s expression of support, saying: “The U.S. is not a party to the South China Sea issue and has no right to interfere in the issue between China and the Philippines.” She added that the mutual defense treaty should not be used to support the “illegal claims of the Philippines” or “undermine China’s sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea.”
In addition to the Philippines, China has territorial disputes with Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. In 2016, an international arbitral tribunal presiding over a case brought by the Philippines ruled against Beijing’s sweeping claims over the region, which includes international waters.
Aircraft Spots, a flight-monitoring account on X (formerly Twitter), uploaded a map showing the flight paths of the B-52 Stratofortresses.
The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command did not immediately respond to Newsweek‘s request for comment.
That same day, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense reported that a strike group led by Chinese aircraft carrier the Shandong had crossed the Bashi Channel between Taiwan and the Philippines.
U.S. Air Force
Boeing B-52s have been in service with the U.S. Air Force since 1955. The long-range bombers can carry up to 70,000 lbs of ordinance, reach an altitude of 50,000 feet, and fly more nearly 9,000 miles without needing to refuel.
In recent years, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command has been periodically deploying four strategic bombers—either B-52s or B-1 Lancers—to Andersen Air Force Base in Guam to maintain the U.S. policy of “strategic deterrence,” within quick reach of hotspots like the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait. Guam is situated about 1,500 miles east of the Philippines and 1,700 miles southeast of Taiwan.
Last week, a B-52 landed in South Korea for the first time in three decades. It took part in the first-ever joint air exercises with both the South Korean and Japanese air forces.
“Now that North Korea’s regularly taunting the South with potential tactical nuclear strikes, it’s important the United States let Kim Jong Un know we have Seoul’s back and that we’re there for our ally,” Sean King, senior vice president of the Park Strategies consultancy firm, told Newsweek. He added that the B-52’s participation in the exercise was just the latest signal of that support.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.