Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

First released to the media, strongly warning North Korea against a ballistic missile launch

Korean and the US Air Forces have sent a strong warning message to North Korea, which has recently carried out a series of ballistic missile provocations. On July 8, the Air Force announced that 2 of the US Air Force’s strategic bombers, both B-1B Lancers, conducted an air-to-ground firing exercise at Pilseung shooting range in Gangwon-do with the US fighter F-16 and the Korean Air Force’s F-15K to achieve a pinpoint strike on the enemy’s core facility from the sky. The training was carried out such that the strategic bomber B-1B bombed an enemy’s ballistic missile launch ramp followed by precision strikes carried out by an F-15K fighter towards the enemy’s core facility hidden under the ground.

The strategic bomber B-1B came close to the Military Demarcation Line after the exercise, then staged an armed protest to North Korea, flying west. This is the first time a US strategic bomber conducted a live fire exercise above the Korean Peninsula in front of the press.

The Air Force said, “Both air forces displayed their strong will to punish the enemy’s provocations, and showed their abilities to destroy enemy command through the training.” And Lieutenant General Won In-chul, Air Force operations command, said “Korea and the US Air Forces will punish the enemy and annihilate any additional will to provoke by immediately responding to the enemy, however it provokes us, anywhere and anytime, in any form.”

Regarding this training, the Air Force explained that the aim was to respond strongly to the North’s repeated ballistic missile firings. It is interpreted as a warning against the test firing of Hwaseong-14 on July 4, the US Independence Day, which North Korea claims was an ICBM. B-1B formation developed over the Korean Peninsula in 4 days after North Korea launched Hwaseong-14, showing the strong will of the Korea-US alliance to punish the North.

This strategic bomber, which covers long distances rapidly and accurately to powerfully strike the target, is the core strategic asset of the US Air Force that North Korea is most afraid of. As well as B-1B, the US possesses B-2 Spirit and B-52 Stratofortress as well, the ‘Top Three Strategic Bombers.’ B-1B, called the Swan of Death, can destroy Pyeongyang in just several hours after taking off from Anderson airbase in Guam. Its maximum speed reaches Mach 1.2, making it the fastest among those 3 top strategic bombers. Although its airframe is smaller than a B-52, it can cause huge damage to the enemy with only one sortie thanks to its ability to load traditional bombs.

By Su-Yeol, Maeng <guns13@dema.mil.kr >

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