First US strategic asset deployed to Korea under Trump 2.0
South Korea and the US conducted a combined aerial exercise on Thursday with a US B-1B strategic bomber, marking the first deployment of a US strategic asset to the Korean Peninsula since the launch of the second Trump administration.
The B-1B bomber was escorted by the South Korean Air Force's F-35A and F-15K fighter jets and US F-16 fighter jets over South Korean airspace, according to South Korea's Defense Ministry.
The ministry explained that the exercise aimed to demonstrate US extended deterrence capabilities against North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile threats while enhancing interoperability between South Korean and US forces.
Details on the planning timeline -- particularly the decision to include the B-1B bomber -- were not disclosed. A ministry official noted that the exercise aligns with South Korea's ongoing discussions with the US in recent years to include US strategic assets in combined exercises, a practice that continued under the previous Biden administration.
The B-1B, also known as the Lancer, is one of the US military's three strategic bombers, alongside the B-52H and B-2. It is the only supersonic bomber among them and is expected to play a key role in preemptive strikes on critical targets if signs of a North Korean attack are detected.
Although it does not carry nuclear weapons, the B-1B is capable of carrying nearly 60 metric tons of bombs. Its high speed allows it to reach the Korean Peninsula from a US base in Guam in just two hours.
On Jan. 15, South Korea, the US, and Japan conducted a trilateral aerial drill over international waters near the Korean Peninsula, with a US B-1B strategic bomber also participating, in response to North Korea's continued provocations ahead of Trump's expected inauguration.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
20 minutes ago
- Korea Herald
S. Korean, US diplomats agree on efforts for bilateral alliance, trilateral cooperation with Japan
Senior diplomats of South Korea and the United States agreed Friday to work together to strengthen their countries' alliance and trilateral cooperation with Japan during their talks in Washington, according to the South Korean Embassy in the US capital. South Korean Ambassador to the US Cho Hyun-dong met with new Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker at the State Department to discuss the bilateral alliance and a range of regional and global issues, the embassy said. Confirmed by the Senate earlier this month, Hooker is noted for her longtime experience in diplomacy with North Korea, including preparations for US President Donald Trump's summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his first term. "Sharing the understanding on the importance of close cooperation between South Korea and the US over North Korean issues, and of comprehensive bilateral cooperation, the two sides agreed to continue efforts to strengthen the Seoul-Washington alliance and enhance trilateral cooperation with Japan," the embassy wrote on Facebook. Cho described Hooker as a longtime expert on issues related to the Korean Peninsula and the alliance. "(Cho) asked Under Secretary Hooker -- a longtime friend of South Korea and strong backer of the South Korea-US alliance -- to continue to support efforts for the development of bilateral relations," it said The two sides agreed to closely cooperate to respond effectively to an array of global challenges, as they discussed the Israel-Iran conflict and Ukrainian issues, as well as challenges in the Indo-Pacific. Hooker previously served as senior director for Asian affairs at the National Security Council. She was deeply involved in preparations for Trump's summits with Kim in Singapore in June 2018, Hanoi in February 2019 and the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom in June 2019. From 2001-2014, Hooker served as a senior analyst for North Korea in the Department of State's Bureau of Intelligence and Research. She was also selected as the 2013-2014 Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs fellow in South Korea. (Yonhap)
Korea Herald
38 minutes ago
- Korea Herald
Trump repeats NATO members should spend 5% of GDP on defense
US President Donald Trump reiterated Friday that North Atlantic Treaty Organization member states should spend 5 percent of gross domestic product on defense, while saying the United States should not. Trump made the remarks during a press availability as he is preparing to attend a NATO summit in The Hague, the Netherlands, next week, where the defense spending target is expected to figure prominently. "I don't think we should, but I think they should," he said, responding to a question about the defense spending target that he proposed. "We've been supporting NATO so long. In many cases, I believe ... almost paying 100 percent of the cost. So I don't think we should, but I think that the NATO countries should absolutely," he added. The US spent about 3.4 percent of its GDP on defense last year. Asked about Spain's stance against the target, Trump said that NATO will have to deal with the country. "Spain has been a very low payer," he said. "They were either good negotiators or they weren't doing the right thing. I mean I think Spain has to pay what everybody else has to pay. Spain has been notorious for low pay." Spain has reportedly rejected the defense spending proposal, calling for a more "flexible" approach. On Thursday, the Pentagon said that European allies are setting the "global standard" for Asian allies, which is spending 5 percent of GDP on defense. South Korea's defense budget this year stands at around 61.2 trillion won ($44.6 billion), which is about 2.32 percent of its GDP, according to Seoul's defense ministry. (Yonhap)
Korea Herald
15 hours ago
- Korea Herald
6 more S. Koreans, 1 Iranian family member evacuate Iran amid escalating conflict with Israel
Six more South Koreans and an Iranian family member have safely crossed the border from Iran into neighboring Turkmenistan amid the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel, Seoul's foreign ministry said Friday. Two South Korean nationals and an Iranian family member arrived in Ashgabat on Friday afternoon (local time), in addition to four other South Koreans who had earlier left Iran and reached the Turkmen capital via the same land route, the ministry said. This brings the total number of South Koreans who have left Iran to 37, since the government began operations to assist those wishing to evacuate, including by providing transportation through border checkpoints. Twenty-six South Koreans and four Iranian family members also crossed the border into Turkmenistan by transportation provided by the South Korean government earlier this week. Escalating airstrikes between Israel and Iran have prompted countries to evacuate their nationals from the region. At least 43 South Koreans and their Israeli family members have fled Israel and taken shelter in Jordan. An estimated 110 South Koreans were in Iran and around 500 in Israel before the conflict began last Friday. (Yonhap)
