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US B-52 bombers and F-22 stealth fighter jets in the air: flexing their muscles off the Korean Peninsula
Photo: Getty Images
North Korea continues its missile tests, Russia and China announce joint maneuvers off Taiwan and Japan - and now the United States is also flexing its muscles in the region.
The US has launched nuclear-capable bombers and state-of-the-art stealth aircraft for an exercise near the Korean Peninsula.
The deployment of US B-52 bombers and F-22 stealth fighter jets to joint exercises with South Korean fighter jets is part of an agreement to protect South Korea with all available means, including nuclear, the South Korean Defense Ministry said.
workouts all week
The exercises, which reportedly included F-35 and F-15 fighter jets from South Korea, took place over the waters southwest of Jeju Island, the ministry said.
The US F-22 fighter jets are stationed in South Korea for the first time in four years and will be training with the South Korean armed forces throughout the week.
The exercises took place against the background of the ongoing North Korean missile tests.
North Korea has tested numerous potentially nuclear-capable missiles this year, two of them just last Sunday.
The country spoke of a test success: The development of an earth observation satellite for military purposes is said to have been successful.
North Korea has already fired a record number of missiles this year.
This is said to be a reaction to previous US and South Korean military exercises.
It is feared that North Korea will respond to the recent air exercises with further missile tests.
Most recently, the country had reacted aggressively to Japan's announcement that it wanted to build up its military forces.
In view of the North Korean and Chinese threats, Japan had announced that it would introduce a new national security strategy and intends to double its defense budget.
ptz/AP