United States: for the first time since 2017 sends B-1 bombers to the Korean peninsula

Two B-1 strategic bombers this Saturday joined the large-scale combined air exercises that South Korea Y USA they are carrying out on the Korean peninsula, where the deployment of these aircraft has not been seen since 2017.

LOOK HERE: US allocates $400 million package to Ukraine that includes delivery of tanks

As detailed by the South Korean army, the B-1s joined together with four South Korean F-35A fighter jets and four others US F-16 fighters to combined exercises Vigilant storm in which some 240 aircraft participated and which Seoul and Washington decided to extend until this Saturday in reaction to the recent provocations of Pyongyang.

The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) noted in a statement that this decision “It is a demonstration of the firm commitment of Washington with deterrence extended to South Korea and the combined defense posture of the allies.”

The deployment of this type of bombers, which left today from the Andersen air base in Guam, for joint maneuvers between South Korea and the US was very common in 2017, when the tension between Pyongyang Y Washington reached dangerous levels, but until now they had not been redeployed in the region.

CHECK HERE: Spain | Why a judge refuses to register a girl with the name ‘Haiza’

The air exercise that concludes today is also the largest between the two countries since 2017 and included the mobilization of fighters F-15, F-16, EA-18G (the version of the F-18 fighter-bomber adapted for electronic warfare scenarios), F-35A and F-35Bwhich unlike the F-35A can perform short takeoffs and vertical takeoffs and landings.

In response to these maneuvers North Korea It has launched at least 33 ballistic missiles in the last three days, the last four today.

These four ballistic missiles Short-range shots were fired into the Yellow Sea (called the West Sea in the two Koreas), according to the South Korean army, which added that they flew about 130 km with a peak of 20.

LOOK HERE: Maritime drone, an artisanal technology adapted by Ukraine in the midst of war

In turn, one of the projectiles that Pyongyang fired this week, a long-range ballistic missile (ICBM), apparently failed in flight when it was about to fly over Japan, while another short-range one landed very close to South Korean territorial waters, something that had never happened before.

Tension on the peninsula is reaching unprecedented heights in the face of repeated North Korean weapons tests, maneuvers by allies and the possibility that, as indicated by satellites, the regime in Kim Jong Un is ready to conduct its first nuclear test since 2017.

Source: Elcomercio

Ronald Payne

I, Ronald Payne, am a journalist and author who dedicated his life to telling the stories that need to be said. I have over 7 years of experience as a reporter and editor, covering everything from politics to business to crime.