American B-52 bombers took part in joint exercises with Japan against the backdrop of North Korean missile launches, the Pentagon’s Pacific Command reports.
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“The command has deployed two bombers and escort aircraft for bilateral air exercises with the Japan Self-Defense Forces,” the statement said.
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To demonstrate joint US-Japanese deterrence capabilities, two US Air Force bombers, two transport aircraft and four fighter jets conducted joint exercises with Japanese fighters over the Sea of Japan, the report said.
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As reported, the United States conducted joint aviation exercises on Friday with South Korea.
Earlier it was reported that the DPRK on Thursday for the first time tested a new solid-propellant intercontinental ballistic missile Hwaseong-18. North Korean State Affairs Chairman Kim Jong-un personally supervised the test launch. The rocket flew about 1,000 kilometers and rose to a height of up to 3,000 kilometers, no other details were reported.
It was noted that the first stage of the rocket was separated under standard flight conditions, and the second and third feet were separated at a high angle flight using the “delayed start” method of their engines, which made it possible to check the operation of the specific functions of each of the stages. The DPRK also reported the specific location of the fall of the steps, saying that nothing threatened the security of neighboring countries. It is assumed that with a normal flight path, the rocket could cover a distance of about 5 thousand kilometers.
