© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: A North Korean flag flies next to concertina wire at the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, March 9, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo
By Soo Hyang Choi
SEOUL (Reuters) – The United States conducted bilateral joint air exercises with South Korea and Japan involving strategic bombers on Sunday, a day after North Korea fired a Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in a “sudden launch drill”. “.
The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said the exercise, in which South Korean F-35A, F-15K and F-16 fighter jets escorted US B-1B bombers, demonstrated “overwhelming” defense capabilities. and the readiness posture of the allies.
“(The exercise) strengthened the combined operation capability and affirmed the unwavering commitment of the United States to the defense of the Korean Peninsula and the implementation of extended deterrence,” the South’s military said in a statement.
Japan flew F-15s over the Sea of Japan with US Armed Forces B-1 and F-16 bombers in tactical exercises, Japan’s Defense Ministry said in a statement, calling the security environment ” increasingly severe” after the latest North Korean missile. landed within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
“This bilateral exercise reaffirms the strong will between Japan and the United States to respond to any situation, the readiness of the (Japan Self-Defense Forces) and the United States Armed Forces, and further strengthens the deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-United States Alliance. the ministry said.
The air exercises come a day after North Korea launched a long-range ballistic missile into the sea off the west coast of Japan, following a warning of a strong response to upcoming military exercises by South Korea and USA.
North Korean state media KCNA said the country held a “sudden launch drill” on Saturday in a “real test” of its efforts to turn the “capability of a fatal nuclear counterattack against hostile forces into an irresistible one.”
Leader Kim Jong Un’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, issued another warning, accusing the United States of trying to turn the UN Security Council into what she called a “tool for its egregiously hostile policy” toward Pyongyang.
“I advise that we will watch every movement of the enemy and take corresponding, very powerful and overwhelming measures against every hostile movement towards us,” he said in a statement.
Saturday’s missile launch, North Korea’s first since January 1, came after Pyongyang threatened an “unprecedentedly strong and persistent” response on Friday as South Korea and the United States prepared for their exercises. annual military strikes as part of efforts to defend against the growing nuclear threat. and the missile threat posed by the North.
North Korea’s state news agency said its missile had flown for 1 hour, 6 minutes and 55 seconds, at an altitude of 5,768 km (3,584 miles), before accurately hitting a pre-arranged area of 989 km (614 miles) away in open water. He first tested a Hwasong-15 in 2017.
‘WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE’
Last year, nuclear-armed North Korea fired an unprecedented number of missiles, including intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of hitting anywhere in the United States, as it resumed preparations for its first nuclear test since 2017.
South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin said Saturday’s launch “clearly” indicates the North’s intention to carry out further provocations.
“If North Korea carries out the seventh nuclear test, which could happen at any time, it will be a game changer in that North Korea could develop and deploy tactical nuclear missiles,” Park told the Security Conference. from Munich on Saturday.
KCNA said North Korea’s latest launch, guided by the General Missile Office, was carried out with an “emergency firepower combat reserve order” given at dawn, followed by a written order from Kim Jong One at 8 am (2300 GMT on Friday). The South Korean military said it detected the missile at 5:22 pm (0822 GMT).
“The important thing here is that the exercise was ordered on the same day, without prior notice to the crew involved,” said Ankit Panda, a missile expert at the Washington-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “The amount of time between order and launch is likely to be reduced with additional testing.”
Analysts say North Korea is likely to conduct more weapons tests, including a possible new solid-fuel missile that could help the North deploy its missiles faster in the event of war.
North Korea’s ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs are prohibited by UN Security Council resolutions, but Pyongyang says its weapons development is necessary to counter the “hostile policies” of Washington and its allies.