(CNN)Four days after North Korea"s fifth and possibly most powerful nuclear weapons test, the US Air Force responded with a show of force on Tuesday, flying two powerful, battle-tested B-1 bombers over South Korea.
North Korea claimed Friday"s test showed it had a nuclear warhead that could be mounted on ballistic missiles, a possibility that increases fears for US allies in the region and also poses a threat to US bases in South Korea, Japan and Guam.
"North Korea"s nuclear test is a dangerous escalation and poses an unacceptable threat," Gen. Vincent K. Brooks, U.S. Forces Korea commander, said in a statement Tuesday. "The United States has an unshakable commitment to defend allies in the region and will take necessary steps to do so, including operations like this one today."
The B-1s were joined by US F-16 and South Korean F-15 fighters in the low-level flyover of Osan Air Base, 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of the South Korean capital of Seoul.
While the B-1s made a strong US statement Tuesday, Brooks, the US commander, pointed out they aren"t the only weapon in the US arsenal.
In his statement, the US general also mentioned the deployment to South Korea of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD), which is designed to shoot down short, medium and intermediate ballistic missiles, just the type of weapons North Korea claims it has.
But the presence of the THAAD system has drawn criticism, particularly from China, which tends to view any increase in U.S. military presence in Asia as an attempt to contain it and reduce its influence in the region.
Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/12/politics/us-air-force-bombers-korea/index.html
No comments:
Post a Comment