JDAM Drop Training After 7 Years
Strong Warning to North Korea's Filth Balloons
The U.S. B-1B strategic bomber has deployed to the Korean Peninsula. It conducted joint training with South Korean and U.S. Air Force fighters and dropped Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) at a domestic firing range. This is interpreted as sending a strong warning message in response to a series of provocations, including North Korea's release of anti-South Korea propaganda balloons and GPS (Global Positioning System) jamming attacks.
On the 5th, the Ministry of National Defense announced that the B-1B strategic bomber conducted joint training over the Korean Peninsula with South Korea's F-35A, F-15K, and KF-16 fighters, as well as the U.S.'s F-35B and F-16 fighters. This is the first time in seven years since 2017 that the B-1B has conducted JDAM drop training on the Korean Peninsula.
As the U.S. B-1B strategic bomber deployed to the Korean Peninsula on the 5th, the South Korean and U.S. Air Forces conducted joint exercises including the dropping of Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM). [Photo by Ministry of National Defense]
A Ministry of National Defense official explained, "This training was carried out with close cooperation between South Korea and the U.S., focusing on implementing the U.S.'s extended deterrence commitment and strengthening interoperability and combined defense posture. In particular, during this training, for the first time in over seven years since 2017, a U.S. strategic bomber was escorted by our Air Force's F-15K while dropping JDAMs at the Pilsung Firing Range, demonstrating precision strike capability against deep targets."
The official added, "Our Air Force's F-15K also conducted live-fire exercises simultaneously, showing a posture capable of immediate, strong, and relentless retaliation against any provocations from North Korea, as well as a robust combined defense posture to deter and respond to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats."
As the U.S. B-1B strategic bomber deployed to the Korean Peninsula on the 5th, the South Korean and U.S. Air Forces conducted joint exercises including the dropping of Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM). [Photo by Ministry of National Defense]
The U.S. 7th Air Force in Korea also released a separate statement saying, "One B-1B bomber from the 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam and two F-15Ks from the Republic of Korea's 11th Fighter Wing dropped GBU-38 (JDAM) live bombs. They successfully struck simulated targets simultaneously, testing the combined close air support and precision strike capabilities of the South Korea-U.S. alliance."
JDAM is a precision-guided bomb that converts conventional bombs into smart weapons by attaching guidance systems and wing kits. It uses GPS and INS (Inertial Navigation System) guidance methods, enabling precise bombing day and night. With a range of 24 km and an error margin of only 13 meters, it flies toward pre-programmed targets, capable of destroying underground bases, caves housing long-range artillery, and coastal artillery bases.
As the U.S. B-1B strategic bomber deployed to the Korean Peninsula on the 5th, the South Korean and U.S. Air Forces conducted joint exercises including the dropping of Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM). [Photo by Ministry of National Defense]
The B-1B can fly at a maximum speed of Mach 1.25 and cover up to 11,998 km. When forward-deployed to Guam in the Pacific, it can deploy to the Korean Peninsula within two hours. Although it does not carry nuclear weapons, it can be armed with up to 57 tons of weapons, boasting a superior payload compared to other strategic bombers such as the B-2 (22 tons) and B-52 (31 tons).
This is the second time this year that a U.S. strategic bomber has deployed and conducted combined air training. In April, the nuclear-capable strategic bomber B-52H conducted joint training with South Korean and Japanese air forces over an area where the air defense identification zones (ADIZ) of South Korea and Japan overlap southeast of Jeju Island.
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