According to Yonhap News Agency on April 17, the South Korean Air Force stated on the 17th that the South Korean and US air forces will carry out large-scale joint air exercises of the "Freedom Flag" from now until next month.

  Since last year, the two countries have integrated relevant exercises in the first and second half of the year, renamed the "Freedom Banner" and implemented twice a year. More than 90 fighter jets from the South Korean and American armies, as well as more than 1,100 combat and support personnel, will participate in the exercise.

  During the exercise, the South Korean and US Air Force will carry out major tasks such as air blockade, defensive air control, combat search and rescue, and close air support, and practice wartime combat processes to test continuous combat capabilities. It is worth mentioning that the two fifth-generation stealth fighters, the South Korean F-35A and the US F-35B, will play the role of the Blue Army for the first time to enhance the pilot's practical combat capabilities. These imaginary enemy combat opportunities carry out electronic attacks and maneuverable flights, while avoiding radar detection, creating various practical threat scenarios.

  In addition, U.S. military's MQ-1, MQ-9 and other drones will also participate in the exercises and implement coordinated combat training for manned/unmanned aerial forces.

  According to reports, the South Korean Ministry of Defense said on the 15th that the South Korean and US armies held a joint air exercise over the Korean Peninsula that day, and the US B-1B strategic bomber participated in the exercise. In addition, South Korean F-35A stealth fighter jets, F-16 fighter jets, and US F-16 fighter jets also participated in the exercises.

  The Ministry of Defense said the exercise aims to demonstrate the extended deterrence capabilities of South Korea and the United States' integration and strengthen the interoperability of the two militaries. South Korea and the United States will continue to expand the implementation of joint exercises and strengthen cooperation between the South Korea-US alliance.

  The maximum flight speed of the B-1B strategic bomber is Mach 125 and the maximum range is 12,000 kilometers. It only takes 2 hours to fly from the US military's Guam base to the Korean Peninsula. Although the aircraft does not carry nuclear weapons, it can carry conventional weapons weighing up to 57 tons.

  According to Yonhap News Agency on the 17th, North Korea said that it would use powerful forces to curb the US's aggression attempt in connection with the US military's B-1B strategic bomber to participate in the joint air exercise between South Korea and the United States.

  On the 17th, the Korean Central News Agency published a speech delivered by a spokesperson for the North Korean Ministry of Defense the day before. The spokesman condemned the United States for sending B-1B bombers to the Korean Peninsula that this is a futile move that will only exacerbate the threat of local security, a naked threat to North Korea's national security, and a serious provocation to escalate regional military tensions.

  The spokesperson also pointed out in the conversation that the number of times the United States has publicly dispatched strategic weapons such as nuclear submarines, strategic bombers, aircraft carriers to the South Korean Peninsula has set a new historical record. The United States has become a common military practice to dispatch strategic weapons. North Korea warned that the US bluffing military actions will eventually have a serious negative impact on its own security.

  When South Korea, the United States, Japan and South Korea and the United States carried out joint air exercises on January 15 and February 20 this year, the US B-1B both flew to the Korean Peninsula to participate in the exercise. North Korea also made a speech afterwards to condemn it.

[Editor in charge: Wang Jinzhi]