Chinese news site Sina recently reported, based on a Global Times social media posting, that
the U.S. military stationed in Japan dispatched several F-15C fighter jets carrying live air-toair missiles to conduct combat air patrols in the airspace near Taiwan. Mainland China
announced very recently that it would allow the Chinese J-20 stealth fighters to conduct normal
combat patrols in the East China Sea. That led the United States to decide to show its muscles
and send a military signal to China. Taiwanese media reported that eye witnesses provided
pictures showing the F-15C fighter jets of the U.S. Air Force had flown back to Kadena Air
Force Base in Japan carrying AIM-120C advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles and AIM9 live rounds of Sidewinder missiles. An unnamed source confirmed that the F-15C fighter
group, supported by two KC-135 aerial tankers, returned to the Kadena Base after a seven-hour
mission. The purpose was to carry out a combat air patrol mission in the airspace near Taiwan.
This was the response after six U.S. congressmen visited Taiwan on April 14th and China later
announced military exercises. U.S. fighter jets carry live ammunition only when they conduct
quick response alerts or actual combat missions. This recent move was rather unusual.
Afterwards, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Defense responded by emphasizing
that, when defending national sovereignty and security, the People’s Liberation Army has
always been brave and good at “showing the sword.”
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