US brings out B-1B bomber after North Korea’s ICBM launch

[ryan robertson]

A UNITED STATES B-1B LANCER–A SUPERSONIC HEAVY BOMBER–
MADE A TRIP TO NORTHEAST ASIA FOR A JOINT EXERCISE WITH SOUTH KOREA AND JAPAN. THE EXERCISE WAS A RESPONSE TO NORTH KOREA’S RECENT TEST OF ITS NEW INTERCONTINENTAL BALLISTIC MISSILE DUBBED THE “HWASONG-19.”

NORTH KOREAN LEADER KIM JONG UN PERSONALLY OVERSAW THE TEST, AND REPORTS INDICATE THE MISSILE HAS A RANGE OF MORE THAN 9,300 MILES, THEORETICALLY ABLE TO REACH THE U.S. MAINLAND. THE REGIME ALSO SAID THE MISSILE SET A NEW ALTITUDE RECORD FOR NORTH KOREAN MISSILES, REACHING ABOUT 4,350 MILES—MORE THAN 17 TIMES HIGHER THANTHE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.

FOR THE JOINT EXERCISE, THE LANCER WAS JOINED BY FOUR JAPANESE F-2 FIGHTERS, FOUR SOUTH KOREAN F-15K FIGHTERS, AND THREE U.S. F-16S THAT WERE STATIONED IN SOUTH KOREA. LANCERS WERE ORIGINALLY CAPABLE OF CARRYING NUCLEAR PAYLOADS–BUT THEY WERE CONVERTED TO ALL CONVENTIONAL STRIKE MISSIONS IN 2011. WHEN FULLY LOADED–LANCERS ARE CAPABLE OF CARRYING THE HEAVIEST PAYLOADS OF ANY BOMBER IN THE U-S FLEET–UP TO 75,000 POUNDS.

THE DRILL AIMED TO SHOW THE COLLECTIVE STRENGTH AND READINESS OF THE U.S., SOUTH KOREA, AND JAPAN, AS WELL AS HIGHLIGHT THEIR COMMITMENT TO REGIONAL SECURITY. SOUTH KOREAN OFFICIALS DESCRIBED THE B-1B’S PRESENCE AS A DISPLAY OF “OVERWHELMING” POWER, REAFFIRMING SEOUL’S STANCE ON WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE U.S. AND JAPAN TO ADDRESS NORTH KOREAN THREATS.

ACCORDING TO THE U.S. INDO-PACIFIC COMMAND, THE EXERCISE SUPPORTED A SHARED VISION OF A SECURE, RULES-BASED INDO-PACIFIC, DEMONSTRATING QUICK RESPONSE CAPABILITY TO ANY SECURITY CHALLENGES. THIS WAS THE FOURTH U.S. BOMBER DEPLOYMENT TO THE AREA THIS YEAR.

IN JUNE, A LANCER DROPPED LIVE 500-POUND bombs IN A SIMILAR EXERCISE OVER THE KOREAN PENINSULA, IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THE BOMBER DROPPED LIVE MUNITIONS IN THE REGION IN OVER SEVEN YEARS. AND IN ANOTHER CAPABILITY DEMONSTRATION IN AUGUST, TWO B-1BS FLEW A 12,456-MILE, NON-STOP ROUND TRIP FROM ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE IN SOUTH DAKOTA TO JAPAN AND BACK, COMPLETING THE JOURNEY IN ABOUT 31 HOURS.

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