The United States military and forces of South Korea have begun large scale air exercises intended to portray a show of force to the North Koreans.
US aircraft, including F-22s, F-35s, and B-1s, on Monday began a massive exercise alongside South Korean forces, a move North Korean officials say brings the countries to the “brink of nuclear war.”
Exercise Vigilant Ace 18 runs from Monday to Friday, and includes 12,000 US personnel along with airmen with the Republic of Korea Air Force. The “realistic air combat exercise” also includes US Marine Corps and US Navy personnel, with a total of 230 aircraft at eight locations, according to Pacific Air Forces. The aircraft include F-22s, F-35s, F-16s, F-15s, B-1s, F-18s, E/A-18s, and F-4s.
“The threat here on the peninsula is very real, and countering that threat needs to be in the forefront of our minds,” 51st Fighter Wing Commander Col. William Betts said in a release. “My biggest expectation for the wing is to remove any ‘exercise’ mindset from the equation and maximize the realism of every response. We will ensure we have no regrets if we find ourselves executing contingency operations.”
“It’s crazy to send thousands of children to South Korea, given the provocation of North Korea,” Senator Lindsey Graham said on CBS’s Face the Nation. “So, I want them to stop sending dependents, and I think it’s now time to start moving American dependents out of South Korea.” – Air Force Magazine
So what do you think? Is war with North Korea inevitable now?
Featured image of U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter aircraft, assigned to the 36th Fighter Squadron, participate in an elephant walk during Exercise VIGILANT ACE 18 at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Dec. 3, 2017 by U.S. Air Force photo, Staff Sgt. Franklin R. Ramos
