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Map Shows US Watching North Korea’s Moves Ahead of Trump Inauguration


Open-source data has revealed three types of American RC-135 spy planes were flying near North Korea ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday.

The U.S. Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) told Newsweek that the RC-135 intelligence-gathering aircraft were conducting “planned, routine operations.” North Korea’s embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to Newsweek‘s request for comment.

Why It Matters

The nuclear-armed North Korea claimed the successful launch of a new hypersonic missile on January 6, saying the weapon, which is capable of flying at greater than five times the speed of sound and maneuvering mid-flight, bolstered the nation’s “nuclear war deterrent.”

The U.S. Air Force RC-135 is a family of reconnaissance airframes, which included the RC-135S Cobra Ball, the RC-135U Combat Sent, and the RC-135V Rivet Joint. These aircraft are deployed to Kadena Air Base, a U.S. military hub on Japan’s Okinawa Island.

What To Know

Based on data captured by the aircraft tracking service Flightradar24, Newsweek‘s map showed that a Kadena-based Rivet Joint aircraft, designed for detecting, identifying, and geolocating electronic signals, was flying south of the inter-Korean border on January 14.

Another Kadena-based American spy plane, the Combat Sent aircraft, took a similar flight route the following day. It monitored North Korea’s military movement over the skies of South Korea by locating and identifying military land, naval, and airborne radar signals.

On January 18 and 20, a U.S. missile-tracking plane, the Cobra Ball aircraft, conducted missions over the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea in South Korea, after taking off from Kadena. It can collect optical and electronic data on ballistic missile targets.

According to the U.S. Air Force, all three types of RC-135 aircraft are permanently based at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska and used in various deployment locations worldwide.

The deployment of the RC-135 spy planes came as the U.S. military enhanced its aircraft presence in the Western Pacific Ocean, including a B-1B bomber mission out of Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, as well as stationing the F-35A stealth fighter jets at Kadena.

Meanwhile, two U.S. B-1B bombers staged an exercise with Japanese and South Korean fighter jets in airspace between Japan and South Korea on January 15, which aimed at strengthening the trilateral deterrent in response to North Korea’s hypersonic missile test.

What People Are Saying

The U.S. Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) told Newsweek: “PACAF remains committed to a free and open Indo-Pacific focused on fostering regional security and stability throughout the region.”

A U.S. Air Force fact sheet of the RC-135S Cobra Ball read: “[The aircraft] is a national asset uniquely suited to provide America’s leaders and defense community with vital information that cannot be obtained by any other source.”

U.S. Air Force RC-135S Cobra Ball Aircraft
A United States Air Force RC-135S Cobra Ball aircraft takes off from Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska on May 8, 2019. The Cobra Ball can collect optical and electronic data on ballistic missile targets.

Senior Airman Jacob Skovo/U.S. Air Force

North Korean state-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun reported: “The test of the new strategic weapon system [hypersonic missile] is part of the plans for the development of the national defense capabilities to raise the durability and effectiveness of the strategic deterrent against the potential enemies in conformity with the changing regional security environment.”

What Happens Next

The U.S. spy planes are likely to continue the North Korea-related missions after Trump’s inauguration. It remains to be seen whether Pyongyang will carry out further weapon tests to send a signal to the new U.S. administration, as well as to Japan and South Korea.



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