US F-22 Stealth Fighter and B-52H Bomber Enter Korean Peninsula... ROK-US Joint Military Exercise (Comprehensive)

US F-22 Raptor and B-52H Strategic Bombers and Our F-35A and F-15K Fighters Participate

B-52 Bomber

[Asia Economy Military Specialist Yang Nak-gyu] The United States' F-22 stealth fighter (Raptor), considered the world's strongest fighter jet, along with the B-52H strategic bomber (photo), entered the Korean Peninsula. For the purpose of the ROK-US joint exercise, they conducted joint training with South Korea's F-35A and F-15K fighters in the Korean Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ) southwest of Jeju Island.

On the 20th, the Ministry of National Defense announced that the US Air Force's F-22, stationed at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, was deployed to Gunsan Air Base in Jeonbuk Province. The B-52H reportedly left the KADIZ and returned after the exercise. The F-22 is expected to remain in the country this week, focusing on training to enhance the response capabilities of the ROK Air Force's F-35A against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.

This is analyzed as a strong warning message in response to North Korea's disclosure of tests of a new solid-fuel rocket engine for solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) development and a military reconnaissance satellite test launch, along with escalating provocations through harsh remarks directed at South Korea and the US. In particular, it is interpreted as strengthening pressure on North Korea by increasing the frequency of deployment of US strategic assets to produce effects commensurate with the 'deployment of strategic assets at a level equivalent to permanent deployment' agreed upon at the 54th ROK-US Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) last month.

The F-22 has been provisionally deployed since last month following the retirement of the existing US F-15 fighters at Kadena Air Base. The F-22 is a stealth fighter that reduces the likelihood of detection by the enemy, equipped with an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar capable of precisely detecting and tracking multiple targets at long range, and outfitted with state-of-the-art electronic warfare equipment, making it regarded as the most advanced fighter jet currently in existence.

With a maximum speed of Mach 2.4 (2.4 times the speed of sound), it can strike Pyongyang in about 7 minutes when taking off from Osan or other bases. The F-22 made its combat training debut in June 2006 at the 'Northern Edge' exercise held in Alaska, achieving a record of '144 to 0' in simulated battles against F-15s, F-16s, and others without losing a single aircraft. In May 2018, it participated in the ROK-US joint air exercise 'Max Thunder,' with eight aircraft landing at Gwangju Air Base, and has returned to Korea after four years. The B-52 'Stratofortress,' which first flew in 1952, is the oldest US strategic bomber but remains active with nuclear capability.

The Ministry of National Defense evaluated, "This joint air force exercise, conducted through close consultations between the ROK and US military authorities, contributed to improving ROK-US interoperability and enhancing joint operational capabilities by allowing the latest ROK-US fighters to master escort procedures for strategic assets during the deployment of the US's representative extended deterrence asset, the strategic bomber, on the Korean Peninsula."