The U.S. deployed strategic
bombers Tuesday to South Korea to participate in mock air raids in the
Korean Peninsula as part of Washington and Seoul's ongoing massive joint
military exercises simulating a war with North Korea.
South Korean F-15K and KF-16 fighter jets flew
alongside the U.S. Air Force's B-1B strategic bomber in South Korea's
Air Defense Identification Zone, South Korea's KBS radio
reported Wednesday. The aircraft conducted operations simulating a
crisis situation in the Korean Peninsula, where neighboring rival
nations technically remain at a state of war since fighting in the
1950s. Since the conflict, Washington has maintained a military treaty
with Seoul. The annual large-scale drills. known as "Foal Eagle," have
been considered a major provocation by nuclear-armed Pyongyang, which
has threatened to strike if it felt its sovereignty was threatened by
the nearby operations.
The U.S. bomber
had reportedly left from the Andersen Air Force Base in Guam and
performed training exercises with Japanese F-15J fighters before joining
the South Korean drills. Japan, another regional U.S. ally, has also
expressed concern over militant rhetoric from North Korea, and conducted
its first-ever civilian air raid drills last week after Pyongyang
launched a barrage of missiles into the sea near Japanese territory.
The U.S. Navy's USS Columbus nuclear submarine
was next to join the exercises. The Los Angeles-class submarine was
described by the Navy as specializing in "undersea warfare" but also
capable of striking targets on the surface and land, laying mines and
deploying special forces. The vessel's deployment followed the arrival
of the Navy's USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier to join the war games.
North Korea's
development of nuclear weapons in spite of U.N. Security Council
sanctions has been a source of heightened regional tensions. Over the
past week, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson visited South Korea, Japan
and China and stressed "a different approach" on tackling Pyongyang,
saying that "all options were on the table" including possible military
action. China has traditionally been North Korea's strongest ally, but
Beijing has censured Pyongyang for its renegade nuclear program,
agreeing to impose sanctions along with the U.S.
North Korea attempted a missile launch Wednesday, which the U.S. and South Korea said failed when the projectile exploded shortly after launching.
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