US bombers fly 12,500 miles in muscle flex near China, Russia (2024)

The United States showcased deterrence capabilities to the quasi-alliance of China and Russia last week by sending two supersonic B-1B Lancer bombers to Japan on a 12,456-mile non-stop round-trip flight.

The Lancers executed a non-stop CONUS-to-CONUS [Continental United States] mission, or Bomber C2C mission, from Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota on Thursday and Friday, the U.S. Air Force's 28th Bomb Wing said on Monday.

This mission comes after China and Russia conducted similar long-range sorties inside the Alaska air defense identification zone on July 24. Both Beijing and Moscow sent nuclear-capable bombers for their joint air patrol which came within 200 miles of the U.S. coast.

The Lancer has the largest conventional payload of weapons in the U.S. Air Force 's inventory, capable of delivering 75,000 pounds of bombs and missiles. It has a maximum speed of Mach 1.2 at sea level and an intercontinental range.

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Unlike the B-2 Spirit and the B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombers, the Lancer was eliminated from the nuclear mission in 1994 and completed conversion to be conventionally armed in 2011 under the New START, a nuclear arms reduction treaty between the U.S. and Russia that was signed in 2010.

During the more than 31-hour mission, the Lancers integrated with allies and partners of the U.S. in the region to enhance global security, demonstrating the unit's preparedness and the training necessary to respond to potential crises or challenges across the globe, the 28th Bomb Wing said.

"These missions [Bomber C2C] are intended to deter adversaries, assure ally and partner nations, strengthen interoperability, maintain and demonstrate readiness across the globe," the wing added.

The Lancers were partially tracked by open-source air traffic control communication and flight data. They conducted aerial refueling over Canada's Vancouver Island during the outbound flight and were supported by aerial refueling tankers near Alaska for the inbound flight to their home base.

The 28th Bomb Wing did not name the allies and partners that took part in the mission; however, Japan's air force said four of its F-15 Eagle fighter jets trained with the American bombers on Friday in airspace north of Yamaguchi, a region on the country's largest island of Honshu.

The training, which also involved two American F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets, enhanced the deterrence and response capabilities of the U.S.-Japan alliance, the Japanese air force added.

On July 30, Russia sent three groups of strategic bombers over the Sea of Japan, where they flew toward Japan's main islands before turning back. The airspace where the American bombers trained with the Japanese fighter jets, is also over the Sea of Japan as Yamaguchi lies on the coast.

"Launching missions like these from Ellsworth validates our unique capability to hold any target at risk, anywhere on the globe, at a moment's notice," said Lt. Col. Robert Wasil, commander of the 34th Bomb Squadron, which is the bombers' assigned unit and part of the 28th Bomb Wing.

These missions reassured allies and partners while forcing potential adversaries to reconsider their actions, the commander emphasized, who also said that rapid deployment and long-range strike are the two critical capabilities the Lancer bomber provides.

Newsweek has contacted the Chinese and Russian defense ministries for comment by email.

Bombers enable the U.S. to project military power outside its territory, but the aircraft require logistic support for overseas deployment such as aerial refueling. The U.S. Air Force has trained with its Australian counterpart to reduce the demand on American tankers in the Indo-Pacific region.

A B-52H Stratofortress from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana refueled from a Royal Australian Air Force KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport on June 21. The bomber can carry 70,000 pounds of bombs and missiles but only 46 out of the 76 bombers in service are nuclear-capable.

This training aimed to create significant scheduling flexibility, increase overall tanker availability, and enhance operational effectiveness, the U.S. Air Force's 2nd Bomb Wing said on Monday. It is also part of ongoing efforts to enhance interoperability and deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region.

Besides collaboration on aerial refueling, the U.S. said that it was planning to deploy up to six Stratofortresses at an air base in northern Australia, according to an Australian Broadcasting Corporation report in October 2022.

The U.S. Air Force said deployment of the bombers would send a strong message to adversaries about its ability to project lethal air power, the report said.