While the Pentagon commemorated the 4th of July with flyovers in Washington, D.C., Boston, New York City, Philadelphia and Baltimore. The most spectacular flyover by the U.S. Air Force and Navy actually took place half way across the world in the South China Sea.
U.S. Navy photos by Lt. Cmdr. Joseph Stephens
A B-52 assigned to the 96th Bomb Squadron took off from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana on Jul. 2 and flew to the South China Sea to join Carrier Air Wings 17 and 5 in a maritime integration exercise.
It then completed its 28-hour mission by landing at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam on Jul. 4.
Pacific Air Force says the B-52 crew “tested and assessed command and control capabilities to inform the development of contested and degraded communication tactics, techniques and procedures” during the mission.
The U.S. Navy also announced earlier that the Nimitz Carrier Strike Force, comprising of both Nimitz and Ronald Reagan strike groups, celebrated Independence Day while deployed to the South China Sea by conducting dual carrier operations and exercises.
The integrated joint air operations with the B-52 was part of those exercise.
The handout images show the B-52 leading a formation of aircraft from VFA-102, VFA-27, VFA-115, VFA-195, VAQ-141 and VAW-115.
