The US launched a long-range bomber as part of a trilateral exercise with South Korea and Japan. The launch comes in response to North Korea’s recent test launch of the Hwasong-19, which is capable of reaching the US mainland.
On Sunday, the US launched the B-1B bomber to conduct exercises with South Korean and Japanese fighter jets near the Korean Peninsula. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement the measure demonstrates the three countries’ determination to fight back against North Korea’s developing nuclear and missile programmes.
This year, the US has launched a B-1B bomber over or near the peninsula four times. The B-1B is capable of carrying a large payload of conventional weapons. In addition, the trilateral air drills were the second this year involving South Korea, the US and Japan.
On Thursday, Pyongyang’s military tested the newly developed Hwasong-19 ICBM, which flew higher and stayed in the air longer than any other missile it has fired. Estimates show that the Hwasong-19 can reach a distance of more than 15,000 kilometres when launched on a standard trajectory, meaning the US mainland is within range of the missile.
North Korean media emphasised the Hwasong-19 as “the primary core means in defending the DPRK, thoroughly containing the enemies’ acts of aggression and reliably protecting national security.” On Saturday, Kim Yo Jong, a senior official, said the country “will never tolerate any attempt to threaten the security environment of the state.”
