US Bombers Join Philippine Jets in Flight Near Chinese-Controlled Shoal

The Philippines said it was the first joint drill with the US under the Trump administration

Two US Air Force B-1 bombers joined Philippine fighter jets in a flight over the South China Sea on Tuesday near the Scarborough Shoal, a disputed reef that’s controlled by China.

A spokesman for the Philippine Armed Forces said the provocative flight was the first joint air exercise between the two militaries under the Trump administration.

“The exercises focused on enhancing operational coordination, improving air domain awareness and reinforcing agile combat employment capabilities between the two air forces,” the Philippine Air Force said.

Two US B-1 bombers fly with Philippine FA-50 fighter jets over the South China Sea (photo released by the Philippine Air Force)

The Scarborough Shoal is a major flashpoint in the maritime dispute between China and the Philippines. The Philippine military has previously accused Chinese jets of firing flares at its aircraft near the disputed reef.

The South China Sea, in general, has become a potential flashpoint between the US and China. Since the previous Trump administration, it has been the policy of the US that the US-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty covers attacks on Philippine boats in the South China Sea. That means the US has committed to going to war with China if the maritime dispute between Manila and Beijing turns hot.

On January 22, Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with his Philippine counterpart, Enrique A. Manalo, and assured of the US’s “iron clad” commitment. Rubio and other members of the new Trump administration are staunch China hawks and are expected to continue the policies of the Biden administration in the region, which included building up military bases and expanding alliances.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.