US nuclear-capable B-52 strategic bombers flew over the Sea of Japan alongside Japanese fighter jets on Wednesday, December 11, 2025, in a show of force following joint Chinese and Russian bomber patrols in the region and escalating tensions over radar targeting incidents.
Two US B-52 strategic bombers flew with three Japanese F-35 stealth fighters and three F-15 air-superiority jets over the Sea of Japan. Japan’s defense ministry said the mission was designed to “reaffirm their strong resolve to prevent any unilateral attempt to change the status quo by force and confirmed the readiness posture of both the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) and US forces.” The flight represented the first time the US had asserted its military presence in the region since China began military exercises last week.
The US-Japan show of force followed a joint flight of Chinese and Russian strategic bombers on Tuesday, November 30, 2024. Russian Tu-95MS and Chinese H-6K bombers conducted an eight-hour patrol over the Sea of Japan, East China Sea, and western Pacific Ocean, accompanied by fighter jets from both countries. Both Japan and South Korea scrambled fighter jets when the Chinese and Russian aircraft entered their air defense identification zones. South Korea’s military said it scrambled fighters when the aircraft entered its ADIZ on Tuesday, an area that extends beyond airspace and is used for early warning.
Tensions escalated sharply on Saturday, December 7, when Chinese J-15 fighter jets locked their radar onto Japanese F-15s in two separate incidents. The jets, operating from China’s aircraft carrier Liaoning, targeted Japanese aircraft that had scrambled in response to possible airspace violations over waters southeast of Okinawa’s main island. The first incident occurred between 4:32 and 4:35 PM, with a second incident between 6:37 and 7:08 PM. Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi described the radar illuminations as “dangerous acts” that went beyond what is necessary for safe flight operations. China denied Tokyo’s accusation, saying Japanese jets flying near the carrier had endangered its air operations south of Japan.
The encounter drew criticism from Washington, which said the incident was “not conducive to regional peace and stability” and reaffirmed that its alliance with Japan was “unwavering.” Both Japan and South Korea host US forces, with Japan home to the biggest concentration of American military power overseas, including an aircraft carrier strike group and a US Marine expeditionary force.
Regional tensions have risen since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi triggered a dispute with Beijing last month with her remarks on how Tokyo might react to a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan. China claims democratically governed Taiwan and has not ruled out using force to take control of the island, which sits just over 100 km (62 miles) from Japanese territory and is surrounded by sea lanes on which Tokyo relies.
The coordinated US-Japan bomber flight signals Washington’s commitment to its Pacific alliances amid increasingly assertive Chinese and Russian military activity. The radar lock-on incidents mark a dangerous escalation in regional military encounters, coming as Beijing pushes back against Japanese political statements supporting Taiwan. With both Japan and South Korea scrambling jets against China-Russia joint patrols, the Western Pacific has become a focal point for great power competition and alliance signaling.
