[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Rising Risk of North Korean Nuclear Test... 'US 3 Major Bombers' Watching the Korean Peninsula

US-ROK Discuss Deployment of B-1B in Comprehensive Exercise Starting 31st
B-52 May Fly from US Mainland in Crisis
New B-21 Radar Bomber to Be Unveiled in December... Capable of Striking Anywhere Worldwide from US

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Attention is focused on whether the U.S. strategic bomber B-1B, forward-deployed to Guam in response to North Korea's nuclear and missile provocations, will participate in the South Korea-U.S. joint air exercise.

According to the military on the 29th, South Korea and the U.S. are reportedly considering the participation of the B-1B in the '2022 Combined Combat Readiness Training' between the two countries, scheduled from October 31 to November 4. In December 2017, when the nuclear and missile crisis peaked due to North Korea's 6th nuclear test, the B-1B participated in the 'Vigilant Ace' (the former name of the combined combat readiness training). If the B-1B participates in this exercise, it is interpreted as a strong warning to North Korea, which has completed preparations for testing.

The U.S. Air Force's B-1B strategic bomber, recently deployed at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, is counted among the three major strategic bombers along with the B-52 'Stratofortress' and the B-2 'Spirit.'

The U.S. Air Force possesses 62 B-1Bs. In 2018, the Air Force completed the life-extension work for the F-101 engines to operate the B-1B bombers until 2050.

B-52 Bomber

[Image source=Yonhap News]

U.S. Air Force Extends Life of 62 B-1Bs to Operate Until 2028
Even Without Tactical Nukes, Can Reach Korean Peninsula Within 2 Hours from Guam Base
B-52 Bombers Can Carry Up to 24 One-Ton Bombs to Destroy North Korean Underground Facilities
U.S. Air Force to Unveil New Strategic Bomber Replacing B-2 in December

Not all strategic bombers carry tactical nuclear weapons.

Currently, only 44 of the 89 B-52 bombers and 16 of the 20 B-2 bombers owned by the U.S. are equipped with tactical nuclear weapons. This is due to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), an agreement between the U.S. and the Soviet Union to reduce 30% of strategic nuclear weapons. The B-2 bomber carries the B61-12 tactical nuclear bomb equipped with advanced digital radar and GPS. The B61-12, weighing about 350 kg, is a small atomic bomb (with an explosive yield equivalent to 50 kilotons of TNT) that can adjust its explosive power according to the target, minimizing unnecessary damage.

The B-1B bomber does not carry tactical nuclear weapons. However, military experts evaluate that the B-1B possesses power equivalent to that of tactical nuclear weapons even without carrying them. It is believed that nuclear deterrence against North Korea can be sufficiently maintained by deploying nuclear weapons on bombers and fighters stationed at U.S. forces in Japan and Guam bases to operate over the Korean Peninsula. It is an excellent model for missions capable of dropping a large amount of bombs in a single sortie.

The B-1B has a larger bomb load than the B-52 and B-2, with 34 tons internally and 27 tons externally including the wings. It can carry 24 MK-84 bombs weighing 2,000 pounds (907.1 kg), 84 MK-82 bombs weighing 500 pounds (226.7 kg), and 24 GBU-31 guided bombs weighing 2,000 pounds. Notably, its maximum speed is Mach 1.2, faster than the B-52 (957 km/h) and B-2 (Mach 0.9), enabling it to take off from Guam and operate over the Korean Peninsula within two hours in an emergency.

Despite its enormous bomb load, it can perform low-altitude penetration at 60 meters. In 2017, two B-1Bs entered Seoul Airport in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, where the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX) was held, and performed low-altitude circling flights for a total of 8 minutes. At that time, the B-1Bs flew at an altitude of 450 to 500 meters, escorted by one F-15K fighter from the Republic of Korea Air Force on each side, showcasing their might before exiting over the West Sea.

The B-52 was developed during the Cold War in the 1950s as a strategic weapon to retaliate against the Soviet Union, which threatened with nuclear attacks. The B-52 bomber can carry up to 24 bombs weighing 2,000 pounds (about 1 ton) capable of destroying enemy underground facilities. During the Vietnam War, it flew 729 missions, dropping more than 15,000 tons of bombs.

Military experts argue that in a crisis on the Korean Peninsula, bombers could also take off directly from the U.S. mainland. The B-2 bomber stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri flew over the Korean Peninsula in March 2013, when tensions escalated after North Korea's 3rd nuclear test, and dropped training bombs at the Jikdo firing range off Gunsan.

The U.S. Air Force plans to unveil the new strategic bomber B-21 Raider on December 2. The B-21 Raider is a new stealth strategic bomber that will replace the B-2, with a similar appearance to the B-2. Each unit costs $639 million (about 919 billion KRW) and is known to be capable of dropping bombs anywhere in the world once deployed from the U.S.

The B-21 Raider is named after the 'Doolittle Raid,' a successful surprise attack operation on Japan during World War II. In response to Japan's surprise bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, without a declaration of war, the U.S. retaliated in April 1942 by launching an attack on the Japanese mainland with specially modified B-25 bombers under the command of Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle. This operation, known as the 'Doolittle Raid,' is credited with boosting the morale of the U.S. military and citizens.

Later, the 80 pilots who carried out the mission aboard 16 bombers were called the 'Doolittle Raiders.' The B-21 development project officially began in July 2014 with the U.S. Air Force's request for proposals, and in October 2015, Northrop Grumman, the manufacturer of the former B-2 bomber, was selected as the contractor.

A military official said, "While we cannot confirm whether the B-1B will participate in the South Korea-U.S. joint exercise, its deployment at Guam alone is enough to pose a sufficient threat to North Korea."

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