Frequent Deployment of US Strategic Assets in Response to North Korean Provocations [Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club]

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[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] If North Korea’s military provocations continue, the deployment of U.S. strategic assets on the Korean Peninsula is expected to occur frequently.

On the 21st, after completing a summit meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden, President Yoon Suk-yeol said at a press conference, “President Biden reaffirmed the U.S. extended deterrence commitment to South Korea using all available categories of defense capabilities, including nuclear, conventional, and missile defense capabilities,” and added, “The two leaders agreed to reactivate the high-level Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG) as soon as possible.”

The ROK-U.S. diplomatic and defense (2+2) EDSCG was initiated during the Park Geun-hye administration but was suspended under the Moon Jae-in administration. Once the EDSCG discussions resume in earnest, if North Korea carries out provocations such as ICBM launches, U.S. strategic assets will be frequently deployed on the Korean Peninsula.

The deployment of U.S. strategic assets on the Korean Peninsula can demonstrate a strong warning and response resolve toward North Korea.

The strategic weapons expected to be deployed include the U.S.’s three major long-range bombers: the B-52H, B-1B, and B-2. The B-52 also flew over the Korean Peninsula as a warning to North Korea during the 1976 axe murder incident at Panmunjom.

The U.S. Air Force’s bomber fleet consists of 46 B-52H (Stratofortress) bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons and 20 B-2A (Spirit) bombers. The strategic bomber B-1B (Lancer) fleet numbers around 90 aircraft.

The B-52H carries nuclear warhead-equipped AGM-129 cruise missiles (12 units) and AGM-86A cruise missiles (20 units). It can also carry conventional warheads such as AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles (8 units), AGM-142 Raptor air-to-surface missiles (4 units), JDAMs (12 units), 81 conventional bombs weighing 500 pounds (226.7 kg) and 1,000 pounds, and 12 GPS-guided inertial bombs (JSOW), totaling 32 tons of weapons.

The B-2 has a weapons payload capacity close to 18,144 kg. The B-1B, nicknamed the “Death’s Swan” due to its swan-like shape, is a strategic weapon with devastating carpet bombing capability. Its maximum payload exceeds that of the B-52 and B-2, with 34 tons internally and 27 tons externally including the wings. It can drop a massive amount of bombs in a single sortie. Its maximum speed is Mach 1.2, faster than the B-52 (957 km/h) and B-2 (Mach 0.9), allowing it to take off from Guam and operate over the Korean Peninsula within two hours. It is the bomber most frequently dispatched to the Korean Peninsula.

Strategic assets deployed to the Korean Peninsula also include nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, known as “floating bases,” carrying about 70 aircraft, and nuclear-powered attack submarines equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles with a range of 2,500 km.

In addition, high-intensity ROK-U.S. joint exercises are expected to be discussed as part of the extended deterrence action plan. In particular, practical bomber exercises involving U.S. strategic assets are cited as a means that can exert strong effects.

However, the permanent or forward deployment of strategic assets is unlikely to be concretized immediately. Permanent deployment of strategic assets would require additional U.S. troops to be stationed, which conflicts with the U.S. Global Posture Review (GPR) policy. This aspect requires a change in U.S. policy.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.