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.
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