US bombers join Japanese jets in show of force after China–Russia drills, Tokyo says

Japan says US B-52 bombers flew with Japanese F-35s and F-15s

The 6th Air Wing of Japan Air Self-Defense Force's F-15 fighters hold a joint military drill with the US B-52 bomber over Sea of Japan, in this handout picture taken by Japan Air Self-Defence Force and on Dec 10, 2025, and released by the Joint Staff Office of the Defense Ministry of Japan on Dec 11, 2025. Joint Staff Office of the Defense Ministry of Japan/Handout via REUTERS

US nuclear-capable bombers flew over the Sea of Japan alongside Japanese fighter jets on Wednesday, Tokyo said, in a show of force following Chinese and Russian drills in the skies and seas around Japan and South Korea.

Japan and the US "reaffirmed 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," Japan's defence ministry said in a press release on Thursday.

The flight of two USB-52 strategic bombers with three Japanese F-35 stealth fighters and three F-15 air-superiority jets was the first time the US had asserted its military presence since China began military exercises in the region last week.

The display follows a joint flight of Chinese and Russian strategic bombers in the East China Sea and western Pacific on Tuesday and separate Chinese aircraft carrier drills that prompted Japan to scramble jets that Tokyo said were targeted by radar beams.

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.

China denied Tokyo’s accusation, saying Japanese jets flying near the carrier had endangered its air operations south of Japan.

South Korea’s military said it also scrambled fighter jets when the Chinese and Russian aircraft entered its air defence identification zone on Tuesday, an area that extends beyond its airspace and is used for early warning.

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.