US Flies Nuclear-Capable Bombers Amid Tensions With N. Korea

South Korea’s SEOUL — On Wednesday, the United States sent nuclear-capable B-52 bombers to the Korean Peninsula in a show of force against North Korea amid fears that the North will perform a nuclear test.

According to South Korea’s Defense Ministry, the long-range bombers took part in joint aerial exercises over the Korean Peninsula with US and South Korean fighter aircraft. According to the statement, it was the first dispatch of US B-52 bombers to the peninsula in a month.

The exercises “demonstrate the (South) Korea-US alliance’s strong resolve and perfect readiness to respond to any provocation by North Korea swiftly and overwhelmingly,” said Lt. Gen. Park Ha Sik, commander of the South Korean air force operation command.

The South Korean and US militaries have increased their joint military exercises in response to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats.

Last month, the allies performed their largest field exercises in five years and computer simulations. The US also sent the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz for joint naval training with South Korea last week and anti-submarine exercises between the US, South Korea, and Japan this week.

North Korea views such exercises as provocations demonstrating its adversaries’ intent to attack the North. On March 6, a day after the last B-52 bomber flight to the peninsula, Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, cautioned that her country was prepared to take “quick, overwhelming action” against the US and South Korea.

The United States sent nuclear-capable B-52 bombers to the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea has since conducted nuclear-capable missile tests aimed at South Korea and the United States. They included the North’s longest-range intercontinental ballistic missile, the Hwasong-17, a nuclear-capable underwater drone in development, and cruise missiles and bombers launched from a submarine.

Last week, North Korea revealed a new battlefield nuclear warhead designed to fit on short-range weapons aimed at South Korea. This sparked conjecture that it may want to conduct its first nuclear test since 2017, as its previous two nuclear test detonations occurred after it revealed other new warheads. If carried out, it would be the North’s seventh nuclear test.

It is unclear whether North Korea has operational bombers nuclear-armed rockets. According to some experts, a nuclear detonation would be used to test a miniaturized warhead for short-range missiles, as the country’s recent weapons tests have concentrated on weapons that put key military installations in South Korea, including US military bases, within striking distance.

North Korea will not return to denuclearization talks with the United States unless Washington abandons hostile policies toward the North, an obvious reference to joint military exercises with South Korea and US-led international economic sanctions. Some observers believe Kim intends to use his growing weapons arsenal to pressure Washington to recognize it as a nuclear power and remove the sanctions.

According to Seoul’s Foreign Ministry, the chief nuclear envoys of South Korea, the United States, and Japan will meet in Seoul on Friday to discuss how to react to the tensions caused by North Korea’s recent weapons tests.

During a policy meeting, south Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said that security collaboration among Seoul, Washington, and Tokyo is critical in dealing with North Korean nuclear threats and other challenges. He stated that South Korea must strengthen its preemptive strike bombers, missile defense, retaliatory attack capabilities, and the alliance’s deterrence capability.

SOURCE – (AP)