The reasons for suspending talks with South Korea are very different from those that prompted the threat to reconsider the US summit. North Korea suspended talks with South Korea because of the B-52’s in the Max Thunder exercise. In Asia, a military exercise that contains the word “thunder” always implies B-52 attacks.
When Kim Jong Un said he understood routine training by forces in Korea, he also indicated that did not include offensive strategic assets deployed from outside. Somehow someone in South Korea and/or the US missed this point, ignored it, or has a tin ear.
The scheduled deployment of strategic bombers plus any other assets not based in South Korea caused the suspension of the talks. They are the iconic offensive weapon system in the USAF arsenal since the Vietnam War. In 1965, the B-52 operation in Vietnam used the word thunder, as in Operation Rolling Thunder.
Belated appreciation of this caused the US to reconsider deploying the bombers this week. Talks will be held after the air clears.
The potential negative fallout and the nattering worries of the academics on the sidelines are all manageable by a great power. None of them are reasons to cancel a meeting between heads of state.
Peace is their profession.
Til now, I thought the threat to suspend North/South Talks was directly related to Singapore.
It seems not, then.
Thanks for clearing that up.
When one is used to treachery, it will be hard to trust anyone out of fear. Who in the world can a despot trust?
It seems that the BUFF's were the hang up. Not flying them near NORKLAND for a month is a manageable problem when you consider that worst case, we can hit them with trident nukes from any point on the planet if they get frosty.
Heavy is the head that wears the crown.
Thanks for the B52 pics, inspiring.
The NORKs have more to lose cancelling a meeting than we do. Reminding them of what they face is probably a good thing, IMO.
The Norks don't like the idea of "Rolling Thunder" as it may apply to them.
Ask not for whom the bell tolls.
Yes, they do. I think that it will happen. There is a LOT of Nork ego on the table and diplomacy is the art of saying "nice doggy" while you're looking for a rock to pick up.
I miss SAC.
BUFFs are a BIG rock… 🙂
You and MRLINDAG helped to make SAC great.
Eight burning, nothing turning (unlike the TU-95)
Do you have any info on the B-52 nose art?
No, I don't. My sense is that you wouldn't want the art on the aircraft if it's going into combat, though. However with the cross section of a B-52, how much would it matter? There's not much stealth in them.
Comments are closed.