US Strategic Asset B-52 Nuclear Bomber Spotted Over Japan Airspace

On the 15th (local time), the U.S. Pacific Air Forces announced on their website that four B-52H bombers and approximately 220 personnel from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana arrived at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam to carry out bomber task force missions.
(Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Tae-min] Following North Korea's missile provocations, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), U.S. strategic assets such as bombers and special reconnaissance aircraft were detected over Japanese airspace.

According to the real-time flight tracking site 'Flight Radar 24,' on that day, a U.S. B-52H (Stratofortress) long-range bomber flew along the eastern coast of the Japanese archipelago. The B-52H is a strategic asset considered one of the United States' three major nuclear forces, capable of carrying nuclear warheads and flying over 6,400 km.

The U.S. had previously deployed four B-52Hs from the mainland to Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, Pacific, in February. On this day, the B-52H flew along a civilian route for a certain period before deviating from it and disappearing from the tracking site's map.

In addition, South Korea and the U.S. conducted ground-to-ground missile counterfire in the morning after North Korea's launch, firing only one missile each. Furthermore, the U.S. Cobra Ball (RC-135S) reconnaissance aircraft was tracked departing from the U.S. mainland and landing in Okinawa, Japan, on the same day. The Cobra Ball reconnaissance aircraft is equipped with state-of-the-art electro-optical equipment capable of tracking ballistic missile trajectories from long distances.

North Korea launched a total of three ballistic missiles on that day, starting around 6 a.m. with a missile presumed to be the Hwasong-17 ICBM.

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