Janice R. Andrews
The United States, South Korea, and Japan conducted a joint aerial exercise Sunday, featuring a B-1B strategic bomber, in response to North Korea’s latest missile test. The drill, which took place near the Korean Peninsula, followed Pyongyang’s recent launch of its Hwasong-19 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
The exercise involved multiple aircraft, including South Korean F-15K and KF-16 fighters, and Japanese F-2 jets, which escorted the American B-1B bomber. According to South Korea’s military, the operation demonstrated the allies’ “overwhelming capability” to conduct precise strikes. This operation marks the second trilateral exercise this year and the fourth deployment of a B-1B bomber to the region in 2024.
The military display comes after North Korea’s test of the Hwasong-19, a solid-fuel ICBM that analysts say could potentially reach the U.S. mainland. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un praised the missile, which state media KCNA dubbed the “world’s strongest strategic missile,” as a necessary defensive measure against perceived Western threats.
The timing of these events is particularly significant, occurring before the U.S. presidential election and amid reports of North Korean military support for Russia in Ukraine. The coordinated exercise underscores the strategic partnership between Washington, Seoul, and Tokyo in addressing North Korea’s expanding missile program.
