The US, Japan, and South Korea formed an alliance. Historic event
On Monday, the South Korean air force reported a historic event. For the first time, South Korea, the United States, and Japan conducted joint air exercises. This significant event took place near the Korean Peninsula.
8:47 AM EDT, October 24, 2023
The Korean Air Force issued a statement emphasizing that "this exercise was planned to implement defense agreements discussed at the Camp David summit in August and to enhance the response capabilities of the three countries to the growing nuclear and missile threats from North Korea."
USA, Japan and South Korea practiced in the air
These trilateral maneuvers, which took place on Sunday, occurred south of the Korean Peninsula. The exercises involved an American B-52H strategic bomber, capable of carrying nuclear warheads, and fighters from three different countries. This location was chosen because the South Korean and Japanese air defense identification zones overlap.
The deployment of the long-range bomber stems from the US commitment to increase the "regular visibility" of strategic units on the peninsula. This commitment was expressed in a joint declaration issued by the presidents of South Korea and the USA, Jun Suk Jeola and Joe Biden, during a summit in Washington in April.
During the August summit at Camp David, Presidents of both countries along with Japan's Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, agreed to increase security cooperation. They also declared that they will be regularly organizing "annual, codename-led, trilateral multi-domain exercises". In early October, for the first time in seven years, trilateral maritime intervention exercises were conducted in waters south of the Korean Peninsula.
On Sunday, the US and South Korean naval forces concluded joint submarine countermeasures exercises code-named "Silent Shark," as reported by the South Korean military.
American B-52 bombers
The B-52 bombers are an important part of the United States' deterrence strategy. Washington often sends them to so-called hot spots to remind potential adversaries of the superpower's capabilities, including the ability to conduct a nuclear attack and quickly react to a similar attack. Even though these machines have been serving the U.S. Air Force for over 70 years, they still remain irreplaceable, and the Americans are introducing further modifications that prolong their operational life.
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, an American long-range strategic bomber, boasts impressive dimensions. It measures over 157 feet in length, and the wingspan of this aircraft extends beyond 184 feet. The starting configuration of the aircraft weighs 282 tons, of those over 31 may be allocated to armament. In the B-52H model, such as that which was present during maneuvers near the Korean Peninsula, its range is even estimated at approximately 9,941 miles. The bomber can fly at speeds exceeding 621 miles per hour and can carry both conventional weapons (such as various kinds of bombs, mines, rockets) and nuclear weapons (e.g., B28 thermonuclear bombs, or B53).
