B-1B strategic bomber stages simulated joint strike with stealth fighters

By Lim Chang-won Posted : December 6, 2017, 17:13 Updated : December 6, 2017, 17:13

[United States Air Force]


A B-1B strategic bomber from Guam staged a simulated attack jointly with American and South Korean jet fighters, including F22 stealth Raptors, as part of a major joint air exercise targeting key North Korean missile and nuclear facilities, military authorities said.

Wednesday's drill involved a B-1B Lancer, two F-22 Raptors, two F-35As, and other jet fighters, which practiced dropping bombs while flying across the southern part of the Korean peninsula, according to the South's Joint Chiefs of Staf (JCS).

In a show of force, B-1B strategic bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons have staged a series of drills in South Korea, including one in early November ahead of an Asia trip by U.S. President Donald Trump.

A major joint air exercise began on Monday, five days after North Korea launched a new intercontinental ballistic missile.

The five-day exercise code-named "Vigilant ACE" involved more than 200 planes, with stealth fighters mobilized for bombing drills and simulated precision strikes. Pyongyang warned the exercise would "invite more terrible retaliation and precipitate their self-destruction".

There are about 28,000 US troops stationed in South Korea. Extra US military assets and personnel come from abroad for regular joint drills that Washington and Seoul insist are purely defensive in nature.




 
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