Pentagon Highlighting Bomber Missions In Korea

This photo released by the U.S. Navy shows a U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber from Andersen Air Force base, Guam, as it flies over the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis during an exercise Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2007 off the coast of Guam in the Pacific Ocean. According to the military, the exercise includes 30 ships, more than 280 aircraft and more than 20,000 service members from the Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon is drawing attention to its use of Air Force B-52 bombers in a military exercise in South Korea.

The bomber flights are meant to highlight the U.S.’s commitment to the defense of South Korea at a time of heightened tension with North Korea, which last month defied the international community by conducting a nuclear test. Earlier this month it threatened to launch a pre-emptive attack on the United States.

Pentagon press secretary George Little said Monday that a B-52 flew a mission over South Korea on March 8 as part of an annual exercise called Foal Eagle. Little said the B-52 was not armed with nuclear weapons.

The deputy U.S. defense secretary, Ashton Carter, said Monday in Seoul that another B-52 mission is scheduled for Tuesday.


Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

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