A B-52 Stratofortress assigned to the 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, soars over Victoria, Australia, March 1, 2019. SERGIO GAMBOA/U.S. AIR FORCE

By CAITLIN DOORNBOS | STARS AND STRIPES Published: March 15, 2019

The Air Force flew a pair of strategic bombers over the South China Sea on Wednesday, marking the second time it has sent the nuclear-capable aircraft to the region in just over a week.

“Two B-52H Stratofortress bombers took off from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, and conducted routine training in the vicinity of the South China Sea on March 13, 2019 [Hawaii Standard Time], before returning to base,” Pacific Air Forces said in a statement Friday.

On March 4, one B-52 flew over the South China Sea while another circumnavigated Japan in a joint military exercise with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, PACAF said at the time.

That mission was the first reported B-52 flight over the South China Sea since November; however, not all are made public. In the past, Beijing has deemed such flights “provocative,” blaming the U.S. for the tensions between the two countries.

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