Seoul, February 19 The armies of South Korea and the United States today responded to the launch of a long-range missile by North Korea on Saturday with aerial maneuvers involving two B-1 strategic bombers. of the Pentagon, according to the South Korean general staff. mixed (JCS).
The statement sent by the JCS did not initially specify the exact number of B-1s, although two bombers could be seen in images of the maneuvers sent to the media.
In any case, with this action, the allies seek to give a resounding response to Pyongyang, since Washington often deploys only one bomber of this type on the peninsula when it intends to issue a warning to the Kim Jong-un regime.
In 2017, amid escalating tension between North Korea and former US President Donald Trump, the Pentagon sent two planes, as happened in early November last year after Pyongyang fired more than 30 missiles in three days.
North Korea yesterday launched a Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the second with the longest potential range in its arsenal.
The projectile traveled over 900 kilometers and reached a peak of over 5,000 before falling into the waters of Japan’s Special Economic Zone (SEZ), west of the island of Hokkaido.
South Korean F-35 and F-15 and American F-16 fighters took part in today’s maneuvers, according to the JCS.
The aircraft, about 10 in total, flew over the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan (respectively called the West Sea and the East Sea in the two Koreas) and also South Korean territory.
“This time, the exercises demonstrated the combined readiness and defense capabilities of the Republic of Korea (official name of the South) and the United States by showing the overwhelming strength of the alliance through the rapid and immediate deployment of the means of American deterrence on the Korean peninsula. “, adds the text.
“It also confirmed the unwavering commitment of the United States and its extensive deterrence commitments,” he concludes.
Extended or extended deterrence is a commitment made last May by Washington with Seoul to send US strategic assets to the Korean peninsula in a “coordinated manner and when necessary” depending on the actions of the northern regime.
Repeated testing of North Korean weapons, including those of a tactical nature that can hit targets in South Korea, and questions about Washington’s immediate defense of its partner in the event of an attack have fueled debate about the need for Seoul to deploy or develop its possess nuclear weapons as a deterrent, with many South Koreans backing that option in the polls.