[Yang Nak-gyu's Defense Club] B-1B Flight over the East Sea during Joint Training Period

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] During the pre-exercise period of the ROK-US combined military exercises, the US B-1B strategic bomber conducted flight training over the East Sea.

According to 'Aircraft Spot,' which tracks military aircraft flight paths, two US strategic bombers B-1B Lancer headed northward on the previous day toward the Tsugaru Strait, located between Honshu and Hokkaido in Japan.

On that day, the B-1B strategic bomber took off from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam and refueled mid-air from two US Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft during its flight.

The US long-range strategic bomber B-1B 'Lancer' is counted among the three major strategic bombers along with the B-52 'Stratofortress' and B-2 'Spirit.' The B-1B is nicknamed the 'Death Swan' due to its swan-like appearance. The B-1B can carry up to 34 tons of various bombs and missiles internally, and including the wings and external mounts, it can carry up to 61 tons. Its top speed is Mach 1.2, faster than the B-52 (Mach 0.78) and B-2 (Mach 0.9). It is an excellent aircraft for missions requiring the dropping of a large amount of bombs in a single sortie. The B-1B, nicknamed the 'Death Swan' because of its swan-like shape, has a bomb load capacity greater than that of the B-52 and B-2, with 34 tons internally and 27 tons externally including the wings.

The fleet of 62 B-1B bombers completed fatigue testing on the airframe and wings in 2017 and finished life extension work on the F-101 engines installed on these bombers. Through this life extension work, the US Air Force expects to operate the B-1B bombers until 2050. Additionally, through performance upgrade projects, the B-52H is planned to be operated until 2045, and the B-2 until 2050. The US Air Force decided to extend the lifespan of the B-1B bomber because it is the aircraft among its bombers that carries the largest amount of guided and unguided munitions.

Meanwhile, the day the B-1B flew over the East Sea was the day the pre-exercise for the ROK-US combined military exercises began. The crisis management staff training (CMST), which serves as a pre-exercise for the combined training, started on the 11th, with Phase 1 defense exercises beginning on the 17th and Phase 2 counterattack exercises starting on the 24th. This exercise is conducted in the form of a war game (combined command post exercise, CPX) using computer simulations without actual troop or equipment mobilization.

The ROK and US are conducting verification evaluations for the transfer of wartime operational control in three stages: Phase 1 Initial Operational Capability (IOC), Phase 2 Full Operational Capability, and Phase 3 Full Mission Capability (FMC). The ROK military has requested the US side to focus this year’s training on the FOC verification evaluation of the future Combined Forces Command for the transfer of wartime operational control. However, due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19, it has been difficult for reinforcement troops from the US mainland to enter the country, resulting in a significantly reduced scale of the exercise compared to previous years. Ultimately, through this exercise, the two countries are expected to verify only core areas, postponing the remaining evaluations until next year.

From the 11th to the 14th, the ROK and US military authorities are conducting the crisis management staff training (CMST), which serves as a pre-exercise for the combined training. On the ROK side, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Army, Navy, and Air Force operational commands are participating, while on the US side, the ROK-US Combined Forces Command, United States Forces Korea, and the Indo-Pacific Command are known to be participating.