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A pair of U.S. Air Force supersonic bombers flew with allied fighter jet escorts near the Korean Peninsula on Wednesday in a stark warning to North Korea's Kim Jong Un, whose regime tested a missile this week capable of delivering a nuclear strike on the mainland United States.
Images showed two American B-1B Lancers flying in formation with U.S. F-16s, South Korean F-15Ks and Japanese F-2 fighter aircraft. The long-range strategic bombers, which can carry a large conventional payload, were taking part in their second trilateral aerial exercise of the year, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said.
"The continued high-end interoperability of our collective forces demonstrates the strength of the trilateral relationship with our Japan and Republic of Korea allies. Our international cooperation is reflective of our shared values and resolve against those who challenge regional stability," the INDOPACOM statement said.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seoul said the training—meant to counter the North's nuclear saber-rattling—took place off South Korea's southern Jeju Island in the East China Sea. It was the 13th time that a U.S. bomber had been deployed near or over the Korean Peninsula this year, it said.
Pyongyang said on Monday it had successfully tested the newest and largest intercontinental ballistic missile in its arsenal, the Hwasong-18, which is propelled by a solid-fuel rocket that is faster to arm and launch.
North Korean state media released images of the launch the following day, showing Kim's personal attendance at the event—his regime's first ICBM test in five months.
The Hwasong-18, which was fired into the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, is thought to have an operational range of over 9,000 miles, enough to carry nuclear warheads directly to major American cities.
North Korea says it is developing the capability in response to increased hostility from the South and the U.S., and the two allies have stepped up their own military training as a result.
Washington continues to rebuke Pyongyang for using launch technology prohibited by United Nations Security Council resolutions that ban its nuclear weapons program. Their diplomats clashed at the U.N. on Tuesday.
American officials say China and Russia are enabling Kim's launches—about 100 ballistic missile tests this year alone, including one on Sunday—by vetoing further sanctions.
The U.S., South Korea and Japan this week activated a trilateral mechanism to track and share information about Pyongyang's missile activity in real time.
The North Korean Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to Newsweek's written request for comment.
About the writer
John Feng is Newsweek's contributing editor for Asia based in Taichung, Taiwan. His focus is on East Asian politics. He ... Read more