F-16 Viper.

This is coolbert:

Was not aware of this. This should be deemed as well beyond the ordinary. 

Thanks to The Drive and the article by THOMAS NEWDICK APRIL 19, 2021.

"Japan-Based USAF F-16s Flew South China Sea Mission Fully Loaded With Live Air-To-Air Missiles"

"Flying far from their home in Japan, the four F-16s, each armed with six missiles, executed operations in one of the tensest areas of the planet."

"The four U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jets that recently flew a mission over the highly contested South China Sea were photographed landing at Yokota Air Base in Japan, en route to their home base at Misawa. The images confirm that these jets were armed for counter-air operations with a heavy load of live air-to-air missiles. The jets’ appearance in the South China Sea last week coincided with the biggest presence of People’s Liberation Army aircraft in Taiwan’s southwest air defense identification zone (ADIZ) in recent times:"

FLEW FROM BASES IN JAPAN TO VICINITY THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND EVEN INCLUDED A FLY-OVER OF THE AMERICAN AIRCRAFT CARRIER THEODORE ROOSEVELT.

Warplanes flying that far from their home base armed with live missiles and including several mid-air refueling indeed a rather extreme "show of force" and a demonstration of American resolve in the region of the South China Sea.

I WOULD ALSO HAVE TO ASSUME THE JAPANESE WERE NOTIFIED IN ADVANCE OF THIS OPERATION AND GAVE THEIR O-KAY!

coolbert.