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.

[Iliyah]

1. Are they there concerning Russia too?

This week there have been Russian aircrafts flying very close over Alaska's air space.

[soryang]

5. There may have been a subsequent flight with that in mind

Link to tweet

if this report is accurate. the timing of these flights and the reports is somewhat confusing. The photo caption on the Stars and Stripes article gives this information about the mission they reported over the Sea of Japan:

A B-52H Stratofortress deployed from Barksdale Air Force Base, La., flies between Japan and Korea alongside two Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-15s, Tuesday, June 16, 2020.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Are those things still around? They always make me think of Dr. Strangelove.

[Wednesdays]

3. Really.

All those trillions spent on defense, and we're still flying seventy year old technology.

[gay texan]

4. It's a seriously good design

Tough as nails

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

6. I assume the avionics have been significantly updated,

but those engines have to be huge gas hogs.

[gay texan]

7. The engines have gone under

Numerous upgrades as well.

[soryang]

8. S.Korea's Hankyoreh (English) has a good article on this same topic

US deploys B-52H strategic bomber to S. Korea
By Noh Ji-won, staff reporter June 22
.
http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_international/950440.html

A South Korean government official said, “With the presidential election coming up, it’s not clear for now whether the US will go ‘low key’ with the joint military exercises in August.”

“If strategic assets are brought in, the situation becomes more serious,” the official warned. Indeed, the recently strained relations between South and North are very likely to return to their 2017 state if the exercises are resumed. The South Korea and US defense ministers appear likely to hold a video teleconference this month to discuss the methods for joint exercises in the second half of the year.