United State Department of Defense confirmed that a B-52 strategic bomber conducted flight mission over China’s fake islands in West Philippine Sea recently. Though the flight was confirmed by Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook, the time and date of said mission was not detailed.
“My understanding is there was one B-52 flight, I’m not even sure the date on it, but there was an effort made by Chinese ground controllers to reach out to that aircraft and that aircraft continued its mission,” Cook said in a press briefing November 12.
“I know that we conduct B-52 flights in the international airspace in that part of the world all the time,” he noted.
US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said last month “make no mistake, the United States will fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, as we do around the world, and the South China Sea is not and will not be an exception.”