The flyover comes less than two weeks after North Korea conducted its fifth and most powerful nuclear test to date, boasting afterward that the detonation of a nuclear warhead proved it was capable of producing “standardized” nuclear weapons that could be delivered via missile.
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“Today marks the first time the airframe has landed on the Korean peninsula in 20 years, as well as conducting the closest flight near North Korea ever”, the U.S. Air Force posted on its website.
On Tuesday in NY, U.S. President Barack Obama urged the United Nations General Assembly to take action against North Korea, claiming that Pyongyang’s latest nuclear test “endangers all of us”.
The B-1B, capable of reaching the Korean Peninsula from Guam in just two hours, is one of the US military’s three major multirole, long-range bombers along with the B-52 and B-2.
In view of Pyongyang’s latest threats, Republic of Korea Air Force Operations Commander Lieutenant General Lee Wang-keun said, “The ROK-US Combined Air Forces, acutely aware of this climacteric situation, maintains a close information sharing and a robust combined operational capability”. The United States also flew two B-1B bombers over South Korea on September 13.
U.S. President Barack Obama has warned that North Korea’s recent nuclear test endangers the entire world and the regime must “face consequences” for its reckless actions.
To that end, the South Korean military will fire Hyunmoo-III cruise missiles with a range of 1,000 kilometers to target core command headquarters in the North Korean capital.
According to Euan Graham, director of the International Security Program at the Lowy Institute in Sydney, the most noteworthy aspect of the flights was not the nearness to the North Korean border, but rather than a nonnuclear jet is now being tasked with the role of nuclear reassurance.
North Korea doesn’t respond well to shows of power.
“If it becomes clear the enemy intends to use nuclear-tipped missiles, in order to suppress its aims, the concept [of the special forces] is to retaliate against key areas that include the North Korean leadership”, Han said Wednesday.
Pyongyang said Tuesday that it tested an engine jet on the ground of a carrier rocket for geo-stationary satellite, which Seoul military saw as a long-range missile. Critics, however, believe is a cover for a nuclear weapons program, the New York Times reported. The two countries have reportedly begun discussions on a possible United Nations resolution in response to the latest nuclear test, but it remains to be seen whether this would mean closing loopholes in earlier sanctions.
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Then, the North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) released a statement saying, “They are blustering this is a “demonstration of the fulfillment of their strong commitment to protecting” South Korea and “strong warning” to the DPRK, in particular”. The move came four days after the North claimed to have carried out its fifth nuclear test, which was condemned by the global community.
