US fighter jets in show of strength to North Korea
US, S Korean planes fire live weapons at training range
SEOUL: The US military flew advanced bombers and stealth jets over the Korean Peninsula and near Japan in drills with South Korean and Japanese warplanes on Monday, three days after North Korea fired a missile over Japan.
The US often sends powerful military aircraft in a show of force in times of heightened animosities with North Korea. The North launched its latest missile as it protested against tough new UN sanctions over its sixth nuclear test on September 3.
Monday’s flyovers over the Korean Peninsula involved two B-1Bs and four F-35Bs from the US military and four F-15K fighter jets from South Korea, according to the South Korean and US militaries. The US and South Korean planes practised attacks by releasing live weapons at a firing range in South Korea, the US Pacific Command said in a statement.
The US warplanes also conducted formation training with Japanese fighter jets over waters near the southern island of Kyushu, according to the Pacific Command.
Since Kim Jong Un took power in North Korea in late 2011, his nation has tested weapons at a torrid pace. The country flighttested two intercontinental ballistic missiles in July. Its nuclear test in September was its most powerful to date.
Many experts say it’s only a matter of time until Kim achieves his stated objective of possessing reliable nuclear- tipped missiles capable of striking anywhere in the mainland US.