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| A U.S. B-1B supersonic bomber, center, escorted by fighter jets, flies over Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday. The United States sent two nuclear-capable supersonic bombers to South Korea in a show of force against North Korea after its fifth nuclear test, Friday. / Joint press corps |
By Jun Ji-hye
Two B-1B nuclear-capable strategic bombers of the U.S. Air Force flew over South Korea, Tuesday, in a show of force against North Korea that conducted its fifth nuclear test last week in defiance of global warnings.
The B-1B Lancers conducted a low-altitude flight over Osan Air Base, south of Seoul, around 10:00 a.m. after having flown from the Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. The aircraft is capable of carrying the largest payload of both guided and unguided weapons of any current American bombers.
One B-1B was escorted by four F-15Ks from South Korean Air Force, while the other was escorted by four F-16s from the U.S. Air Force during the flight.
The North conducted its fifth and the biggest-ever nuclear test, Friday, claiming to have successfully detonated a miniaturized nuclear warhead that can be placed on a ballistic missile.
"North Korea's nuclear test is a dangerous escalation and poses an unacceptable threat," Gen. Vincent Brooks, the commander of the Combined Forces Command (CFC) and the United States Forces Korea (USFK), said at a news conference held after the flyover.
"The United States has an unshakable commitment to defend allies in the region and will take the necessary steps to do so, including operations like this one today, and the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Air Defense (THAAD) battery on the Korean Peninsula."
South Korea and Washington announced a decision in July to deploy a THAAD battery here by the end of next year to better deter evolving threats from the North's nuclear and missile programs.
Gen. Lee Sun-jin, chairman of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, also said if North Korea continues to develop its nuclear weapons, it will meet retaliatory actions that will "shake the very founding of its regime."
The two generals stressed that Pyongyang's blatant disregard for its international obligations demands the allies continue to enhance their military readiness to take actions as directed to deter the North.
The B-1B is a four-engine supersonic variable-sweep wing, jet-powered heavy strategic bomber with a speed of Mach 2.
The aircraft, which was deployed at the air base in Guam in August in support of the U.S. Pacific Command, was originally scheduled to conduct the flyover here Monday, but the plan was delayed until Tuesday due to weather conditions, according to the CFC.
The Lancers have served in the many conflicts that the United States has been involved in over the last few decades including the Gulf War and Kosovo.
Most recently, Lancers served as the primary heavy bombers tasked with carrying out airstrikes against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria last year before returning to the United States earlier this year to receive upgrades to their avionics.
The CFC said the latest flyover of the Lancers highlights the close cooperation between the U.S. and South Korea military that keeps them ready to respond at any time to threats to stability and security.
Washington is also planning to dispatch a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to South Korea next month as part of efforts to deter further military provocations by the North.
The USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) will sail to the West and South Seas to participate in a joint naval exercise with the South Korean military. The drill is slated for Oct. 10 to 15, officials said, adding that the exercise will focus on training the allies' naval forces on joint precision attacks on the North's key military facilities and the regime's leadership that would be launched in the event of a war with the reclusive state.
Commissioned in 2003, the Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier has more than 80 combat aircraft, including the F/A-18, the EA-6B electronic warfare aircraft and E-2C airborne early warning planes. The ship's complement is 5,680 sailors and airmen.
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