US Air Force considering deploying bombers in South Korea

Asia-Pacific, News, US May 2, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

The United States Air Force is considering to start landing its bomber planes in South Korea and deploying military aircraft in the Korean Peninsula.

In recent years, the U.S. bombers have conducted several war drills with the South Korean Air Force, but did not land in South Korea, instead returned to Guam, Hawaii, and other U.S. territories.

Commander of the U.S. Pacific Air Force Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach said in an interview that due to the increasing nuclear and missile threat from North Korea, the U.S. Air Force and South Korean counterparts are considering increasing the intensity of the joint operations.

The U.S. Air Force General Wilsbach added that increased interoperability between the two forces would provide and enhance extended deterrence and a visible demonstration of the ability to counterattack North Korea.

While talking about North Korea’s increasing ability to successfully test long-range missiles, Wilsbach said that “if you think back maybe five years ago, the number of launch failures they had, you’re seeing a lot less of that nowadays.” He added that “they clearly have perfected, or maybe not perfected, but certainly improved their ability to launch.”

North Korea has been launching back-to-back successful long-range missiles in recent times. Earlier this month, Pyongyang tested a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile, the Hwasong-18. Due to its ability to be stored ready-to-launch state, a solid-fuel missile can be launched in a shorter span of time compared to the liquid-fuel types, making it harder to detect.

The last landing from the U.S. Air Force strategic bomber in South Korea happened in 2016 when North Korea conducted a nuclear test. Since then there has been no recorded landing from the U.S. bombers in South Korea.

^{US Air Force B-1B bombers and F-16 fighter jets along with South Korean Air Force F-35A fighter jets take part in a joint air drill on February 19, 2023. (Image Credit: South Korean Defense Ministry/via Reuters)}

Wilsbach announcement came only a few days after U.S. President Joe Biden met with the South Korean counterpart, Yoon Suk Yeol, in Washington. The two leaders signed a so-called Washington Declaration that would allow the two countries to “enhance the regular visibility of strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula” and “expand and deepen coordination between our militaries.”

During President Yoon’s visit to Washington, the United States also made a significant announcement regarding their commitment to deploy a nuclear-armed submarine in South Korea for the first time since the early 1980s.

The primary objective of deployment is to serve as a deterrent to North Korean aggression. According to the joint declaration, strategic assets, including the U.S. Navy’s nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), will be regularly deployed to make deterrence more apparent. However, there are no plans to permanently station nuclear weapons on the Korean peninsula.