B-52 bombers train with Japanese fighters over Sea of Japan days after deploying to Alaska

[soryang]

B-52 bombers train with Japanese fighters over Sea of Japan days after deploying to Alaska
By CAITLIN DOORNBOS | STARS AND STRIPES
Published: June 18, 2020

Two Air Force B-52H Stratofortress bombers and several Navy E/A-18G Growlers practiced long-range escort and aircraft interception with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force on Wednesday over the Sea of Japan.

The bombers left Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska for the mission, which involved four F-2 and 12 F-15 JASDF fighter jets “to enhance the readiness and security of the region,” according to an Air Force statement Thursday.

“These strategic bomber missions provide our Airmen with the realistic long-duration sorties that they require to remain highly proficient and ready to act when called upon to support the collective defense of the United States,” said 96th Bomb Squadron commander Lt. Col. Christopher Duff in the statement.

The bombers are from the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., but are deployed to Eielson, near Fairbanks, as part of the new Air Force approach to making its global bomber presence less predictable.

more:

https://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/b-52-bombers-train-with-japanese-fighters-over-sea-of-japan-days-after-deploying-to-alaska-1.634212

Neither stars and stripes nor Aircraft Spots on twitter is giving much information about the route of flight. Earlier strategic bomber flights had appeared to stay within Japanese territorial airspace and avoiding routes into international airspace over the East Sea/Sea of Japan because of its proximity to the Korean peninsula.

An Arirang English language broadcast distorted a news report that a US reconnaissance aircraft from Japan had flown over S.Korean airspace Friday to monitor potential military movements in North Korea by mixing file video of B-52 flights with the reconnaissance aircraft report.


US Spy Plane Flies Over Korean Peninsula
KBS 2020-06-20 13:18:44/Update: 2020-06-20 13:38:32

The U.S. has flown a reconnaissance aircraft to South Korea to monitor North Korea's actions as tensions rise on the peninsula and Pyongyang threatens military action.

According to aviation tracker site "No callsign" on Saturday, the U.S. Air Force's E-8C Joint STARS aircraft took off from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan at 7:37 p.m. Friday.

The E-8C flew over South Korea from 9 p.m. on Friday until the early hours of Saturday, with its location tracking device turned on.

not much more except for the photo of the E-8C:

https://world.kbs.co.kr/service/news_view.htm?lang=e&Seq_Code=154274

There are conflicting impulses and elements of manipulation reflected in broadcasts about the situation on the Korean peninsula as the numerous US "Korea experts" simultaneously recommend not reacting to the North Korean provocations while attempting to resume the posture of 2017 with full blown military exercises and regular introduction of strategic offensive platforms into the Korean theater. The latter in fact would be an escalation of the situation.