South Korea and the United States held combined aerial drills on Sunday, a day after North Korea fired a long-range ballistic missile into the sea, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said. in Seoul.
As part of the drill, South Korean F-35A and F-15K fighters and US F-16s escorted US B-1B jets entering the Southern Air Defense Identification Zone, it said. the JCS. He did not specify how many B-1B strategic bombers were involved.
A dozen planes were dispatched as part of the exercises, according to the Yonhap news agency. They flew in formation over the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea and southern South Korea.
“The training this time demonstrated the combined defense capabilities and posture of South Korea and the United States, showcasing the overwhelming forces of the alliance,” he added. said Seoul.
According to JCS, this latest air exercise confirmed that the United States “battleship” pledge to defend South Korea, and its pledge of extended deterrence, which calls on Washington to use all of its military capabilities, including nuclear weapons, in the event of an attack on its allies.
Earlier in the day, North Korea confirmed that it had fired its Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile on Saturday, the first such test since Jan. 1.
THE “surprise” The launch exercise was carried out on the orders of the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, Pyongyang’s official KCNA news agency reported.
The test confirmed North Korea’s ability to launch a “deadly nuclear counterattack against hostile forces” and became “clear proof of the certain reliability of our powerful physical nuclear deterrent”, It said.
The missile landed about 200 kilometers (125 miles) west of the coast of Japan’s Oshimo island, with Tokyo describing North Korea’s move as “an act of violence that intensifies the provocation against the international order.”
The test followed promises from Pyongyang to offer a “an unprecedented, strong persistence” response to upcoming joint exercises by South Korea and the United States. This week’s computer-simulated drills on countering a North Korean nuclear threat are expected to be followed by Freedom Shield, the main war games between the allies scheduled for March.
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Pyongyang had previously vigorously protested the drills, calling them a “general repetition” for a full-scale invasion of North Korea.
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