South Korea-US B-1B Bomber Joint Air Exercise "Demonstrating Extended Deterrence"

On the 15th, South Korea and the United States conducted a joint air exercise with the participation of the U.S. B-1B strategic bomber.

The Ministry of National Defense announced on the 15th that South Korea and the United States carried out a joint air exercise with the deployment of the U.S. B-1B strategic bomber.

This exercise aims to regularly enhance the visibility of the U.S. extended deterrence. The South Korean Air Force participated with F-35A and F-16 fighter jets, while the U.S. side deployed B-1B strategic bombers and F-16 fighter jets.

Regarding this exercise, the Ministry of National Defense stated, "This training is to demonstrate the integrated extended deterrence capabilities of South Korea and the U.S. in response to the escalating threats from North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, and to strengthen the interoperability of combined South Korea-U.S. forces." It added, "Based on close cooperation, South Korea and the U.S. will continue to expand joint exercises to deter and respond to North Korean threats and further strengthen the South Korea-U.S. alliance."

The U.S. B-1B deployed on this day is a supersonic strategic bomber capable of flying at a maximum speed of Mach 1.25 (1,530 km/h) and a maximum range of 12,000 km. It can be deployed from the U.S. military base in Guam to the Korean Peninsula within two hours. Although it does not carry nuclear weapons, it can be equipped with up to 57 tons of armaments and has stealth capabilities to strike enemy territory covertly, making it one of the aerial strategic assets that North Korea finds particularly concerning.