Originally published on November 26, 2013
Two U.S. B-52 bombers fly over disputed islands in the East China Sea on Monday in defiance of new Chinese air defence rules.
According to reports, China set up an "East China Sea Air Defence Identification Zone" that includes the disputed Diaoyu or Senkaku islands over the weekend and asked aircraft entering the zone to identify themselves or face "emergency defensive measures."
The unarmed U.S. B52s took off from Guam on Monday, flew over the islands before returning to Guam later the same day, without informing China, raising the stakes in a territorial standoff. According to the Pentagon, the aircrafts were on a training mission.
The Pentagon also said there has not been response from China.
According to Reuters, "The United States and Japan have sharply criticized China's airspace declaration, with U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel calling it a "destabilizing attempt to alter the status quo in the region.""
The U.S. had said on Saturday that it would not change how it operates in the region and abide by the Chinese-imposed zone, and on Tuesday urged Beijing to resolve its dispute with Japan over the islands diplomatically.
The Boeing-made B-52 heavy-bomber has been used by the U.S. military since the 1950s and is one of the most versatile aircraft in its arsenal. The aircraft weighs in at more than
83,000 kg, has a wingspan of 56 m and is 48 m long.
It has a sophisticated array of sensors for targeting and communications and has an unrefueled combat range of 14,000 km, but mid-air refueling capability mean its range is limited only by crew endurance. Two aircraft can monitor 364,000 sq km of ocean surface in two hours.
It has a flight ceiling of 15 km, or 50,000 feet. And can carry an ordinance payload of up to 31,500 kg including gravity bombs, precision guided bombs, cruise missiles and nuclear weapons.
The Air Force expects it to be in service beyond 2040.
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