The US yesterday flew a long-range bomber in a trilateral drill with South Korea and Japan in response to North Korea’s recent test-firing of a new intercontinental ballistic missile designed to strike the US mainland, South Korea’s military said.
North Korea on Thursday tested the newly developed Hwasong-19 ICBM, which flew higher and stayed in the air longer than any other missile it has fired. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called it “an appropriate military action” to cope with external security threats posed by its rivals.
The US yesterday flew a B-1B bomber to train with South Korean F-15Ks and KF-16s, and Japanese F-2s near the Korean Peninsula, demonstrating the three countries’ firm resolve and readiness to respond to North Korea’s advancing nuclear and missile programs, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
Photo: US Air Force / AFP
“The exercise demonstrates the commitment of the ROK [Republic of Korea]-US alliance to integrate extended deterrence in response to the advancing nuclear and missile threats from North Korea,” the statement said.
During the aerial maneuver, South Korean and Japanese jets escorted the US strategic bomber to a designated location south of the Korean Peninsula, “demonstrating an overwhelming capability to swiftly and accurately strike simulated targets,” it added.
The B-1B Lancer is a supersonic heavy bomber known for its high-speed performance with a payload of 34,000kg of munitions, including conventional and precision-guided weapons.
It was the fourth time this year the bomber was deployed to the Korean Peninsula and the second time for a trilateral aerial exercise to counter Pyongyang’s military threats, the military said.
The official Korean Central News Agency hailed Thursday’s ICBM launch as “the world’s strongest strategic missile.”
The test-firing showed progress in North Korea’s missile program, but many experts say it still has some technological issues to master to acquire functioning ICBMs that can deliver nuclear strikes on the US mainland.
Kim “expressed great satisfaction” at the successful launch, the agency reported.
North Korea “would never change its line of bolstering up its nuclear forces,” it said.
The Hwasong-19 shown in North Korea’s state media photographs and videos appeared too big to be useful in a war, experts said.
The launch came amid growing international scrutiny over Pyongyang’s purported deployment of thousands of troops to Russia to support Moscow’s war efforts in Ukraine, raising concerns North Korean soldiers in Russian uniforms could soon engage in combat.
NEXT GENERATION: The four plants in the Central Taiwan Science Park, designated Fab 25, would consist of four 1.4-nanometer wafer manufacturing plants, TSMC said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) plans to begin construction of four new plants later this year, with the aim to officially launch production of 2-nanometer semiconductor wafers by late 2028, Central Taiwan Science Park Bureau director-general Hsu Maw-shin (許茂新) said. Hsu made the announcement at an event on Friday evening celebrating the Central Taiwan Science Park’s 22nd anniversary. The second phase of the park’s expansion would commence with the initial construction of water detention ponds and other structures aimed at soil and water conservation, Hsu said. TSMC has officially leased the land, with the Central Taiwan Science Park having handed over the
AUKUS: The Australian Ambassador to the US said his country is working with the Pentagon and he is confident that submarine issues will be resolved Australian Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd on Friday said that if Taiwan were to fall to China’s occupation, it would unleash China’s military capacities and capabilities more broadly. He also said his country is working with the Pentagon on the US Department of Defense’s review of the AUKUS submarine project and is confident that all issues raised will be resolved. Rudd, who served as Australian prime minister from 2007 to 2010 and for three months in 2013, made the remarks at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado and stressed the longstanding US-Australia alliance and his close relationship with the US Undersecretary
‘WORLD WAR III’: Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said the aid would inflame tensions, but her amendment was rejected 421 votes against six The US House of Representatives on Friday passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal 2026, which includes US$500 million for Taiwan. The bill, which totals US$831.5 billion in discretionary spending, passed in a 221-209 vote. According to the bill, the funds for Taiwan would be administered by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency and would remain available through Sept. 30, 2027, for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative. The legislation authorizes the US Secretary of Defense, with the agreement of the US Secretary of State, to use the funds to assist Taiwan in procuring defense articles and services, and military training. Republican Representative
TAIWAN IS TAIWAN: US Representative Tom Tiffany said the amendment was not controversial, as ‘Taiwan is not — nor has it ever been — part of Communist China’ The US House of Representatives on Friday passed an amendment banning the US Department of Defense from creating, buying or displaying any map that shows Taiwan as part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The “Honest Maps” amendment was approved in a voice vote on Friday as part of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for the 2026 fiscal year. The amendment prohibits using any funds from the act to create, buy or display maps that show Taiwan, Kinmen, Matsu, Penghu, Wuciou (烏坵), Green Island (綠島) or Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) as part of the PRC. The act includes US$831.5 billion in
RSS