North Korea Conducts 'Demonstration Flights' Using Bombers... Military Responds by Deploying Latest Stealth Aircraft (Comprehensive)

Identified Over 180 Flight Paths in 4 Hours
North Korea Deploys Old Fighter Jets and Bombers

A scene of the Korean flight leader leading the formation during the joint flight training of the ROK-US Air Force F-35A in July [Photo by the Air Force]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] North Korea conducted protest flights by deploying military aircraft and even carried out air-to-ground firing in response to the South Korea-U.S. joint air exercise 'Vigilant Storm.' The South Korean military responded by urgently scrambling advanced air assets, including the stealth fighter F-35A.

It is considered quite unusual that North Korea dispatched military aircraft, presumed to be older fighter jets, to counter the large-scale exercise involving around 240 air assets from both South Korea and the U.S.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the 4th, they identified and took countermeasures against about 180 flight tracks of North Korean military aircraft.

According to the Joint Chiefs, North Korean military aircraft operated in multiple areas including inland north of the Tactical Action Line (TAL) and the East and West Seas. Some flight tracks were detected south of the special surveillance line set by South Korean forces north of the TAL, but these were identified as originating from airfields located south of the special surveillance line.

North Korea mobilized not only MiG and Sukhoi series fighters but also bombers for this protest flight. The military reported that air-to-ground firing activities were observed from some bombers. Since a single military aircraft can leave multiple flight tracks by repeatedly taking off and landing, and the flight activities lasted for four hours, a detailed analysis is underway to determine how many aircraft were involved.

The South Korean Air Force urgently scrambled over 80 superior air assets, including the stealth fighter F-35A, and is maintaining a full readiness posture through follow-up support and air defense forces. Additionally, the approximately 240 assets participating in Vigilant Storm continued their planned training while maintaining readiness. The forces flying during the exercise maintained their scheduled flight patterns, and ground forces, including U.S. military assets participating in the training, were also prepared for contingencies.

A Joint Chiefs official stated, "Our military is closely monitoring North Korean military movements in close cooperation with the U.S. and maintaining a firm readiness posture against any additional provocations."

Earlier, on the 6th of last month, North Korea descended south of the special surveillance line and conducted threatening flights with eight fighters and four bombers around Goksan in Hwanghae Province toward Hwangju, carrying out air-to-ground firing. Two days later, on the 8th, North Korea claimed to have conducted a 'large-scale comprehensive air attack exercise' involving about 150 aircraft, but in reality, far fewer military aircraft flew, and some crashes reportedly occurred. At that time, even MiG-15s used during the Korean War were deployed.

On the 13th of this month, North Korean military aircraft, numbering about 10, crossed the Tactical Action Line and conducted intense protest flights. At that time, they approached up to 5 km north of the no-fly zone in the western inland area south of the Tactical Action Line (25 km north of the Military Demarcation Line), up to 7 km north of the no-fly zone in the eastern inland area (47 km north of the MDL), and up to 12 km north of the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the West Sea area before heading north.

Meanwhile, Vigilant Storm is a large-scale exercise involving about 140 South Korean air assets, including F-35A, F-15K, KF-16 fighters, and KC-330 aerial refueling aircraft, and about 100 U.S. assets, including F-35B fighters, EA-18 electronic warfare aircraft, U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft, and KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft, totaling approximately 240 aircraft. The exercise was originally scheduled to run from the 31st of last month through this day, but after North Korea launched ballistic missiles in protest, South Korea and the U.S. extended the exercise by one day until the 5th.

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