The United States has flown nuclear-capable B-52 bombers to the Korean Peninsula in a show of strength against North Korea as concerns grow that Pyongyang might conduct a nuclear test.
The long-range bombers took part in joint aerial drills with US and South Korean fighter jets over the Korean Peninsula, South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense said. Wednesday’s deployment was the first of US B-52 bombers to the peninsula in a month.
The drills “show the strong resolve of the [South] Korea-US alliance and its perfect readiness to respond to any provocation by North Korea swiftly and overwhelmingly”, Lieutenant General Park Ha-sik, commander of the South Korean air force operation command, said in a statement.
The South Korean and US militaries have been expanding their combined military drills in response to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats.
Last month, the allies conducted their biggest field exercises in five years as well as computer simulations for command post training. The US also sent the nuclear-powered USS Nimitz aircraft carrier for naval training with South Korea last week and US-South Korea-Japan anti-submarine drills this week.
