The trilateral air exercise took place after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un personally supervised the launch of the Hwasong-19 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Thursday. The missile is North Korea’s largest and longest-range nuclear weapon, with a range of up to 9,320 miles, according to Japanese estimates. In response, the US Air Force B-1B Lancer bomber was launched from Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota. The aircraft carried out the exercise in the airspace south of the Korean Peninsula and west of the main island of Japan.
The B-1B cannot carry nuclear weapons, it can carry nearly 35 tons of conventional weapons, which is the largest capacity in the US Air Force.
During the exercise the American bomber was accompanied by four Japanese F-2s, four South Korean F-15Ks, and three American F-16 fighter jets stationed in South Korea. In a statement, the US Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) emphasized the commitment of the three nations to a secure, rules-based and open Indo-Pacific region.
Our three nations remain absolutely committed to the shared vision of a secure, rules-based and open Indo-Pacific region
– says the statement of the command.
The exercise was clearly a response to North Korea’s ICBM launch. Seoul has confirmed it is stepping up security cooperation with Washington and Tokyo to counter threats from North Korea. According to Japanese media, this was the fourth time this year that the US military has sent bombers near the Korean Peninsula. The previous three occasions took place on April 2, June 5 and October 1, when B-1B Lancer and B-52H Stratofortress type aircraft were deployed. After the exercise on Sunday, the American bomber returned to its base. According to military aircraft trackers, two bombers were originally planned to be deployed, but one turned back to South Dakota halfway through the exercise, presumably due to technical problems.
Cover image source: Master Sgt. William Greer, via Wikimedia Commons
Source: www.portfolio.hu
