US long-range bomber participates in air exercise with South Korea, Japan – DW

South Korea, Japan and the United States held a joint air exercise on Sunday in response to North Korea’s recent test firing of a new intercontinental ballistic missile, the South Korean military said.

“The exercise demonstrates the ROK-US alliance’s commitment to integrated, comprehensive deterrence in response to advancing nuclear and missile threats from North Korea,” South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

The exercise involved the US B-1B nuclear bomber, as well as South Korea’s F-15K and KF-16 fighter jets, and Japan’s F-2 fighter jets, which escorted the US strategic bomber to a designated location south of the Korean Peninsula . It demonstrates an overwhelming ability to engage simulated targets quickly and accurately,” the Seoul military added.

It was the fourth time this year that the nuclear bomber was deployed on the Korean Peninsula. It was also the second time a trilateral air exercise aimed at countering Pyongyang’s military threats took place, the statement said.

North Korea tests advanced ballistic missiles

The exercise took place three days after Pyongyang launched the Hwasong-19, one of the most powerful and advanced intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) that experts say could reach targets in the continental United States.

According to Pyongyang and the militaries in Seoul and Tokyo, which tracked the missile in real time, the missile flew higher and stayed in the air longer than any previous missile North Korea has fired.

Relations between North Korea and South Korea are reaching a new low

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The official Korean Central News Agency called it “the world’s strongest strategic missile.” Leader Kim Jong Un “expressed great satisfaction” over the successful launch, calling it “an appropriate military action” to address external security threats from his rivals.

The ICBM test was seen as an attempt to draw US attention ahead of this week’s US presidential election, amid growing international condemnation of Pyongyang’s alleged deployment of thousands of troops to Russia to help fight its war against Ukraine to support.

dh/lo (AP, AFP)