'Death Swan' Soars Over Korean Peninsula Amid North Korea Provocations... Demonstrating Deterrence Against North Korea (Summary)

Four SRBMs Launched Two Days After ICBM Launch
Unusual Provocation from North Korea-China Border to West Sea
B-1B Over Korean Peninsula... Vigilant Storm Concludes

US Strategic Bomber B-1B Lancer

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] North Korea has provoked again by launching short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) just two days after firing an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). However, the South Korean and U.S. air forces responded with a firm warning message by deploying the U.S. strategic bomber B-1B, known as the "Death's Swan," over the Korean Peninsula, undeterred by North Korea's threats.

According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff on the 5th, the military detected four SRBMs launched from Dongrim, Pyonganbuk Province, toward the West Sea between 11:32 a.m. and 11:59 a.m. Dongrim is a point near the border area just 20 km from Dandong, China. It is considered highly unusual for North Korea to launch ballistic missiles toward the West Sea from the north rather than the East Sea. The military is also examining the intent behind this.

These missiles were detected flying approximately 130 km, reaching an altitude of about 20 km, and traveling at Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound). The detailed specifications are being precisely analyzed by South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities. Based on altitude, the missile type is likely the super-large multiple rocket launcher (KN-25), and considering the speed, it could be the North Korean version of the Iskander (KN-23). The military has strengthened surveillance and is closely monitoring North Korea's movements.

A South Korean Air Force F-35A fighter jet participating in the 'Vigilant Storm' exercise taking off from the Cheongju base runway
[Photo by the Air Force]

South Korea and the U.S. showed firm deterrence, undeterred by North Korea's threats.

According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, two U.S. Pacific Air Forces B-1B strategic bombers were deployed over the Korean Peninsula in the afternoon. This is the first deployment of the B-1B to the Korean Peninsula since December 2017, marking its return after about five years. These bombers conducted joint exercises as part of the South Korea-U.S. combined air training "Vigilant Storm," alongside four South Korean Air Force F-35As and four U.S. Air Force F-16s.

The B-1B is one of the three major U.S. strategic bombers and is the strategic asset most likely to be deployed to the Korean Peninsula in an emergency. Despite carrying nearly 60 tons of weapons, it can reach a maximum speed of Mach 1.25 (about 1,530 km/h). Recently, it has been upgraded to carry the state-of-the-art stealth long-range anti-ship missile (LRASM), capable of precision strikes on large maritime targets from 800 km away.

A Joint Chiefs of Staff official said that the B-1B deployment was a response to North Korea's provocations and a grand finale to Vigilant Storm, stating, "It demonstrated the combined defense capabilities and readiness of South Korea and the U.S. to respond firmly to any North Korean provocations," and added, "It also revealed the U.S.'s strong commitment to extended deterrence."

Kim Jong-un, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea [Photo by Yonhap News]

North Korea launched ballistic missiles on three of the past four days. It is interpreted that North Korea felt threatened because Vigilant Storm was a training exercise directly targeting Kim Jong-un, General Secretary of the Workers' Party, including the center of Pyongyang. Particularly, North Korea showed stronger backlash when South Korea and the U.S. extended the originally scheduled training period from the 4th to the 5th.

On the morning of the 3rd, North Korea launched an ICBM presumed to be the "Hwasong-17" at around 7:40 a.m. Although the flight was unsuccessful, the two-stage separation succeeded, reaching a maximum altitude of about 1,920 km, a flight distance of 760 km, and a top speed of Mach 15 (15 times the speed of sound). Then, at around 8:39 a.m., two SRBMs were launched, followed by three more SRBMs presumed to be older liquid-fueled missiles at around 9:35 p.m.

Earlier on the 2nd, North Korea fired about 25 missiles in four rounds over 10 hours, including SRBMs toward international waters south of the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the East Sea for the first time since the division of Korea. The missiles that crossed the NLL headed toward Ulleungdo, landing 26 km south of the NLL, 57 km east of Sokcho, and 167 km northwest of Ulleung. This led to an unprecedented air raid alert across Ulleungdo.

Additionally, on the previous day, starting around 11 a.m., North Korea flew about 180 military aircraft flight paths over four hours and conducted ground attack exercises with bombers. Some speculate this was an attempt to "mimic" Vigilant Storm, which saw a large deployment of South Korean and U.S. air power.

Meanwhile, it has been reported through the media that North Korea has launched ballistic missiles 33 times and cruise missiles 3 times so far this year.

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