Two US B-52s flew over disputed area of South China Sea, ignoring China's instructions for prior warning

[luckytxn 2,265]

Exactly. The B-52's were just a big old FU. China has no capability of winning an air war. China knows this.

The B-52s were there to be obvious. No way the Chinese could miss them.

The F-22s would not be there to be noticed. The first the PLAAF would have known about Raptors in the vicinity would be when the assets they sent up to intercept the B-52s found themselves in an active radar lock. From that point on, it becomes a real-life game of chicken.

[BatmanUSA 105]

It was only a test...

It was only a test...

[Pooky 3,840]

I'm guessing we would do the same thing we do when Russian bombers test our airspace.. Send a couple of fighter planes to escort their clearly lost plane back to international airspace. We certainly would *not* do what they did: nothing.

I'm not sure about the USAF, but the RAF Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) plan is once a possible target is identified, to have the QRA assets airborne quickly enough to carry out the intercept in international airspace. Once the intruder violates UK airspace, the intercept becomes less of a friendly hello and more of an incident. Continued intrusion results in a weapons live warning, followed ultimately by live fire.

With a subsonic threat, such as a B-52, Tu-95 Bear, or H-6 (Tu-16 Badger), ground-based early warning radar is able to detect any intruder far enough out to accomplish this. The Chinese could see the B-52s, but they backed away from carrying out an intercept.

[luckytxn 2,265]

The U.S. pilots will be making this a regular routine. China will learn to shut up unless you have teeth.

China is being stupid to keep pushing Japan.(Their historical enemy) The way is open for them to start grabbing the rich resources in the south China sea. U.S. will not go to war there as long as China keeps the shipping lanes open.

I'm not sure about the USAF, but the RAF Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) plan is once a possible target is identified, to have the QRA assets airborne quickly enough to carry out the intercept in international airspace. Once the intruder violates UK airspace, the intercept becomes less of a friendly hello and more of an incident. Continued intrusion results in a weapons live warning, followed ultimately by live fire.

With a subsonic threat, such as a B-52, Tu-95 Bear, or H-6 (Tu-16 Badger), ground-based early warning radar is able to detect any intruder far enough out to accomplish this. The Chinese could see the B-52s, but they backed away from carrying out an intercept.