Yonhap quoted the South Korean Defense Ministry as saying that a US B-1B strategic bomber and F-16 fighter jets conducted drills with South Korean FA-50 fighter jets on the Korean peninsula on August 30.
B-1B bombers and US and South Korean fighter jets conduct joint exercises in March
The exercise demonstrates the enhanced deterrence and robust combined defense posture by deploying U.S. strategic assets following North Korea’s recent satellite launch. The exercise runs until August 31 and is part of the ongoing Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise between the two countries.
The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise began last week to strengthen response capabilities to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.
On the same day, August 30, two US B-1Bs participated in exercises with 12 Japanese fighter jets in the sea between Japan and the Korean Peninsula. The Japanese Defense Ministry said that the exercise confirmed the readiness of both sides' forces to respond to any situation.
A day earlier, US, South Korean and Japanese forces held joint naval exercises in southern South Korea.
The US sent B-1B strategic bombers to conduct drills with two Northeast Asian allies shortly after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un accused the three countries of increasing the risk of nuclear war by bringing their biggest weapons to the region.
In a related development, US Space Force officials stationed in South Korea said on August 30 that the two countries' militaries want to more closely integrate each other's systems to track North Korea's missile launches, according to Reuters.
During a briefing for reporters at Osan Air Base south of Seoul, US Air Force Deputy Commander in Korea Matt Taylor said cooperation on sharing missile warning data could be expanded to a trilateral level, with Japan joining in.
South Korea and Japan are relying on land and sea-based radars to track launches, but adding U.S. space capabilities would provide a more comprehensive view.
At the summit at Camp David (Maryland, USA) on August 18, US President Joe Biden, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed to share real-time North Korean missile warning data before the end of this year.
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