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By MARI YAMAGUCHI, Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — U.S. strategic bombers joined a fleet of Japanese fighter jets in a joint military exercise meant to demonstrate their military cooperation around Japan’s airspace, defense officials said Thursday, as tensions with China escalate.

This photo provided by Japan’s Ministry of Defense shows the Japan Air Self-Defense Force’s F-15 fighters holding a joint military drill with the U.S. B-52 bombers in the vicinity of Japanese airspace on Wednesday Dec. 10, 2025. (Japan’s Ministry of Defense via AP)

The exercise showcasing joint Japanese-U.S. air power came a day after Chinese and Russian bombers flew together around western Japan, prompting Tokyo to scramble fighter jets, though there was no airspace

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