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| A U.S. B-1B Lancer bomber takes off from the Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, Tuesday, for an exercise with South Korean fighters over the Korean Peninsula. / Yonhap |
Arrival of attack submarine Tucson belatedly revealed
By Jun Ji-hye
U.S. B-1B Lancer bombers flew over the Korean Peninsula Tuesday night in an exercise with South Korean fighters, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Wednesday.
The training operation was yet another show of force to North Korea amid growing concerns over additional military provocations around the founding anniversary of its ruling Workers' Party of Korea that fell Tuesday.
The North passed the anniversary without incident, but Pyongyang is capable of large-scale provocations at any time, according to the JCS and Cheong Wa Dae.
"Two Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) F-15Ks conducted a combined exercise with two U.S. Air Force (USAF) B-1B strategic bombers from the Andersen Air Force Base in Guam," the JCS said in a press release.
The nighttime drill came as US President Donald Trump discussed a slew of options with his national security advisers the same day to respond to possible provocations by the Kim Jong-un regime.
After entering the Korean Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ) at 8:50 p.m., the U.S. bombers staged a simulated air-to-ground missile firing drill with the F-15Ks over the East Sea, the JCS said.
The bombers then flew across the peninsula and carried out another simulated firing exercise over the West Sea before exiting the KADIZ at 11:30 p.m., it added.
Before entering the KADIZ, the heavy bombers also conducted combined drills with Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) fighter jets within the Japanese Air Defense Identification Zone (JADIZ), according to the 7th USAF.
The mission was the first time B-1B Lancers conducted combined training with JASDF and ROKAF fighters at night, demonstrating increasing combined capabilities, the 7th USAF said.
"Flying and training at night with our allies in a safe, effective manner is an important capability shared between the U.S., Japan and the Republic of Korea and hones the tactical prowess of each nations' aviators," said U.S. Air Force Maj. Patrick Applegate at the 613th Air Operation Center. "This is a clear demonstration of our ability to conduct seamless operations with all of our allies anytime anywhere."
The latest dispatch of the bombers came about 20 days after the USAF flew them further north of the Demilitarized Zone than any other American warplanes in the 21st century. At the time, the bombers were escorted by USAF F-15C Eagle fighters from Okinawa in Japan, not ROKAF jets.
A Cheong Wa Dae official told reporters that the latest operation was part of an agreement between the allies regarding the rotational deployment of U.S. strategic military assets to the peninsula to better deter North Korean threats.
The B-1B is a four-engine supersonic, variable-sweep wing, strategic bomber with a speed of Mach 2. The aircraft is capable of carrying the largest payload of both guided and unguided weapons in the USAF inventory.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Tucson (SSN 770) visited South Korea last week as part of its regional deployment to the Indo-Asia-Pacific region, the U.S. Pacific Command said Wednesday.
The nuclear-powered submarine made a port call in Jinhae in the nation's southeastern region, Oct. 7.
With a crew of approximately 150, Tucson can conduct a multitude of missions, the Pacific Command said, adding that missions it can support include anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface ship warfare, land strikes, surveillance and reconnaissance.
"The Korean-American relationship is very important and our visit to Chinhae (Jinhae) gives us the opportunity to strengthen the outstanding relationship that exists between the U.S. and the Republic of Korea," said Cmdr. Chad Hardt.
The submarine left Wednesday for an unknown destination, according to sources.
Military officials here noted that the nuclear-powered guided-missile submarine USS Michigan is also scheduled to arrive at the South Korean port of Busan over the weekend.
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