[News analysis] US Air Force bombers fly to northernmost point of DMZ for first time this century

Posted on : 2017-09-25 17:23 KST Modified on : 2017-09-25 17:23 KST
Show of force designed to prevent further North Korean provocations
 the American empire
the American empire

On the night of Sept. 23, the US Air Force dispatched a number of B-1B Lancers (known as the “Swan of Death”) and F-15C jets to the northernmost point of the DMZ, which is the closest US aircraft have flown to North Korea in the 21st century. The flight is thought to be aimed at raising pressure on North Korea as high as possible to prevent it from taking further actions that would raise tensions and to bring it to the negotiating table by force.

During this operation, two B-1Bs, which were escorted by F-15Cs, reportedly crossed to the north of the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the East Sea before returning to their base. B-1Bs inbound from Guam typically fly in formation with aircraft from the Republic of Korea Air Force or the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, but only the US military was involved in this operation. This was because “the mission involved flying north to an unprecedented degree, making it much more dangerous than past missions,” said a senior officer with the South Korean military. By flying to the very edge of North Korean airspace, the officer said, the US military greatly increased the menace of its show of force. It’s also unusual for B-1Bs to operate in the middle of the night. The timing is thought to have been designed to demonstrate that the US is capable of carrying out a surprise attack whenever it deems necessary.

This powerful show of force is believed to have been primarily intended to prevent North Korea from engaging in behavior that would raise tensions even further. Ahead of the anniversary of the foundation of the North Korean Workers’ Party on Oct. 10, the situation around the Korean Peninsula has been worsening after Trump spoke of the total destruction of North Korea on Sept. 19, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un responded by threatening a “historic ultra-hardline response.”

Carrying signs saying “United States: Headquarters of Evil” and “We will settle up with our mortal foe
Carrying signs saying “United States: Headquarters of Evil” and “We will settle up with our mortal foe

Looking at the bigger picture, the operation is linked to the Trump administration’s strategy of looking for a breakthrough on the North Korean nuclear issue. “The Trump administration agrees that it is possible to negotiate with North Korea, but it wants the North to be the first to yield. The show of force is part of the Trump administration’s distinctive ‘strategy by force’ that is designed to bring the North to the negotiating table,” said a diplomatic source in Washington, D.C. who asked to remain anonymous.

With this goal in mind, the US has reportedly been preparing a series of shows of force since shortly after North Korea’s sixth nuclear test. On Sept. 18, two B-1Bs and four F-35B stealth fighters deployed with US Forces Japan flew north to the vicinity of the NLL during joint exercises with four F-15Ks from the South Korean air force. The USS Ronald Reagan, a nuclear-propelled aircraft carrier, and its accompanying strike force are preparing to carry out joint exercises with the South Korean navy in the waters around the Korean Peninsula in October.

The US Defense Department appears to have meticulously planned this operation in order to maximize the effectiveness of the show of force. The Pentagon’s unusual announcement of this action in a statement by its spokesperson appears to have been an attempt to underline the operation’s gravity. “Earlier today, US Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers from Guam, along with US Air Force F-15C Eagle fighter escorts from Okinawa, Japan, flew in international airspace over waters east of North Korea,” said Pentagon Spokesperson Dana White in a statement released on Sept. 23.

Considering that the US government is claiming that this show of force was a defensive measure against North Korea’s threatening behavior, it does not seem likely that the US is toying with the possibility of a preemptive strike against the North. But given that both the US and North Korea are on high alert because of the verbal potshots being traded by their leaders, the two sides are clearly walking on thin ice.

By Yi Yong-in, Washington correspondent and Park Byong-su, senior staff writer

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]

button that move to original korean article (클릭시 원문으로 이동하는 버튼)