North ICBM Response... Are US Bombers Coming Back? [Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club]

North Korea Provokes Again About 10 Months After Launching Hwasong-18
US Strategic Bombers Fly During Each ICBM Launch

As North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), it is expected that the United States' strategic assets will be directed toward the Korean Peninsula. This is North Korea's first ICBM provocation this year, approximately 10 months after launching the solid-fuel ICBM Hwasong-18 on December 18 last year.

Specifications and performance of U.S. strategic assets deployed on the Korean Peninsula. Graphic by Jin-kyung Lee, Designer

The deployment of U.S. strategic assets on the Korean Peninsula is a hot topic. The photo shows the specifications of the USS Ronald Reagan and the USS Michigan. Graphic by Jin-kyung Lee, Designer

Specifications and performance of U.S. strategic assets deployed on the Korean Peninsula. Graphic by Jin-kyung Lee, Designer

On the 31st, it was reported, "Around 7:10 a.m. today, one long-range ballistic missile launched by North Korea from the Pyongyang area toward the East Sea was detected," adding, "The missile was launched at a high angle, flew about 1,000 km, and landed in the East Sea." It was further stated, "Immediately after North Korea's ballistic missile launch, a South Korea-U.S. joint coordination meeting was held," and "The defense ministers of South Korea and the U.S. decided to strongly implement various countermeasures, including joint exercises deploying U.S. strategic assets, to demonstrate the alliance's resolve."

On July 13 last year, the day after North Korea fired the new solid-fuel ICBM Hwasong-18 capable of carrying a nuclear warhead into the East Sea, the U.S. strategic bomber B-52H Stratofortress flew from its base in Guam to the Korean Peninsula. Additionally, the U.S. military deployed aircraft such as the RC-12X Guardrail and RC-135V Rivet Joint, which flew daily over the Korean Peninsula airspace.

In particular, besides the ICBM launch, if a nuclear test is imminent, the U.S.'s representative strategic asset and nuclear missile carrier, the B-52H long-range bomber, may also be deployed. The B-52H is a strategic asset included in the U.S. nuclear triad along with intercontinental ballistic missiles and strategic nuclear submarines (SSBNs). Through this nuclear triad, the U.S. pursues an extended deterrence policy, or "nuclear umbrella," to preemptively deter hostile nations from threatening allies or partners with nuclear weapons. The B-52H can carry nuclear warhead-equipped AGM-129 cruise missiles (12 units) and AGM-86A cruise missiles (20 units), as well as air-to-ship missiles and conventional bombs, with a total weapon load capacity of 32 tons. Previously, the B-52H also conducted a show-of-force flight over Japanese airspace during North Korea's ICBM launch.