The United States made its first move Thursday to enforce its pact with South Korea against the looming threat of North Korea, according to the New York Times.
U.S. military made an announcement Thursday that it ran a practice bombing sortie over South Korea. The two B-2 stealth bombers took off from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri and made a nonstop flight over South Korean land and back to the base.
According to a statement from United States command in Seoul, South Korea, the move shows the U.S. can “provide extended deterrence to our allies in the Asia-Pacific region.” The statement went on to say that the U.S. is able to “conduct long-range, precision strikes quickly and at will.
The practice run comes only three days after the United States and Korea made public a pact between the two countries. The United States and South Korea have outlined a plan to deal North Korean provocations. In it they outlined specific reactions to specific moves North Korea might make against the two nations.
"North Korea is not a paper tiger so it wouldn't be smart to dismiss its provocative behavior as pure bluster," said a U.S. official Wednesday according to CNN.com.
Thursday marked the first time the United States had released information about a “B-2 mission over the Korean Peninsula” according to the Times.
The stealth planes, which boast nuclear capabilities, flew 6,500 miles to an island in the Pacific used for bombing practice and dropping inter munitions. Secretary Defense Chuck Hagel spoke with Minister of Defense Kim Kwan-Jin to assure him of the United States commitment to the cause in South Korea.
A statement from the South Korean Ministry of Defense said the “extended deterrence” provided by the United States comes with a “nuclear umbrella” as well as “military defense capabilities.”
It would seem that in this back and forth between this new alliance and North Korea, it is up to the latter to make the next move.
