US sends B-52H Stratofortress bombers to South Korea again ahead of possible DPRK nuclear test

US B-52H Stratofortress nuclear bombers have once again returned to South Korea. The dispatch of strategic aircraft to the region is a show of strength ahead of a possible nuclear test in North Korea.

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The B-52Hs took part in another joint exercise between South Korea and the US. The two bombers flew over the Korean Peninsula accompanied by fifth-generation fighters.

The exercise demonstrated the firm determination and perfect readiness of the two countries to respond quickly and decisively to any provocation by the DPRK. This was stated by Lieutenant General Park Ha Sik, head of the South Korean Air Force Operations Command.

For its part, North Korea calls the exercises of its southern neighbour and the US a provocation. North Korean authorities believe the Republic of Korea and the US are preparing an attack on the country. At the beginning of March 2023, a B-52H aircraft arrived in the Republic of Korea. The DPRK authorities then said they were ready to take "swift, stunning action" against Washington and Seoul.

Since then, North Korea has launched several ballistic missiles capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. These include the Hwasong-17. It is the most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile in the DPRK's inventory.

North Korea conducted its last nuclear test in 2017. Kim Jong-un has said he will not return to denuclearisation talks unless Washington abandons its "hostile policy towards the DPRK".

Source: Military Times