US Japanese Joint Air Exercise on Armistice Anniversary

On July 27, two B 52s from Guam joined Japanese F15s in the eastern portion of the Sea of Japan and flew the route depicted above according to the South Korean Channel A Top Ten News program. The program indicated that the B52s were the "nuclear capable" variant. July 27 was the anniversary of the Korean Armistice signing, and the date scheduled for remains of US service members killed in the Korean conflict to be returned to Osan airbase in South Korea. The analysis on the program suggested that the indicated track was of a length and duration to practice a mission to attack North Korea. Near the end of the Channel A segment, Sen. Lindsey Graham's remarks on July 29, were cited as an example of the US two track policy to encourage progress in negotiations with North Korea while exerting maximum pressure. Graham advised the administration to tell North Korea that there was a military option if they were not forthcoming in the pending denuclearization process.

In another segment, Channel A reported Chinese Military Y-9G aircraft entered the South Korean ADIZ and passed through the Korea Straits airspace into the East Sea/Sea of Japan on the 27th, 28th and 29th of July on four separate missions. The aircraft is described variously as a reconnaissance/electronic warfare aircraft and appeared to be monitoring military activity in the region.