{"id":62775,"date":"2020-07-06T18:43:52","date_gmt":"2020-07-06T18:43:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/07\/06\/two-us-aircraft-carriers-are-operating-in-the-south-china-sea-air-force-b-52-joins-them\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T19:36:24","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T19:36:24","slug":"two-us-aircraft-carriers-are-operating-in-the-south-china-sea-air-force-b-52-joins-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/2020\/07\/06\/two-us-aircraft-carriers-are-operating-in-the-south-china-sea-air-force-b-52-joins-them\/","title":{"rendered":"Two US aircraft carriers are operating in the South China Sea; Air Force B-52 joins them"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As tensions between Beijing and Washington continue to simmer regarding who owns the South China Sea, the U.S. aircraft carriers Nimitz<\/a> and Ronald Reagan<\/a> conducted rare dual-carrier operations there this past weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China has increasingly sought to cast the South China Sea as its maritime domain, and the U.S. Navy has responded by sailing vessels through those waters to reinforce the fact that they are international.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two carriers launched fighter jets \u201caround the clock,\u201d while practicing other skills in tandem, according to a Navy release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They were joined in the skies by an Air Force B-52 Stratofortress, a long-range, nuclear-capable bomber from the 2nd Bomb Wing, which took off from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, and took part in the exercises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Big Navy’s Instagram account got into the meme game this weekend as two U.S. aircraft carriers operated together in the South China Sea. (Screenshot\/Instagram)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBomber Task Force demonstrates U.S. capability to rapidly deploy to a forward operating base and execute long-range strike missions,\u201d said Lt. Col. Christopher Duff, 96th Bomb Squadron commander, in an Air Force news release. \u201cThis sortie demonstrates our ability to reach out from home station, fly anywhere in the world and execute those missions, rapidly regenerate from a forward operating base and continue operations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The BUFF aircrew assessed command and control capabilities \u201cto inform the development of contested and degraded communication tactics, techniques and procedures to ensure seamless joint interoperability,\u201d according to the news release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Warships of the carrier strike force also practiced defending against an attack during the exercises, with carrier jets at times playing the enemy.<\/p>\n\n\n\t