Eight fighter-bombers, four F-16 from South Korea and four F-15 from the United States, simulated a bombardment of enemy targets in what was a show of force against North Korean threats. This is what was confirmed by South Korea.
"It was a targeted flight to show the military strength and joint power of South Korea and the United States".
The exercise could still more alarm the North Korea, but it demonstrates the resoluteness of the allies against any kind of provocation.
The message is clear: no military action by North Korea will be tolerated.
Meanwhile, the talks between the emissaries of the two countries began this morning, aimed at finding a peaceful way to resolve the dispute.
What is the real strength of North Korea?
By briefly analyzing the data released by GlobalSecurity.org, we can understand how a war against North Korea would not lead to net winners, but to different degrees of losers.
We know that in the defense budget allocated for the 2011, Pyongyang has invested 6,4 billion dollars. Probably, this figure, in the 2015, should be rounded up by another billion, considering the copious investments made in modernizing the tactical capabilities of the army.
The North Korean army, in the 2013, counted one million troops with 3500 tanks and 563 aircraft, one fifth of them bombers. Tanks and aircraft are predominantly of Soviet construction. Nearly nine thousand artillery pieces online and about 5000 multiple pitchers. The anti-aircraft defense system is based on a line of ten thousand guns of various caliber. 72, finally, the submarines, some of which have been suitably modified to launch tactical missiles.
It is believed that North Korea has weapons of mass destruction.
22 billions of dollars, on the other hand, have been allocated by South Korea in the last defense budget. 522 thousand are professional soldiers on duty, 2414 tanks (more than 1500 K1A1 based on the Abrams, K2 is coming) and 467 aircraft. The American footprint in the entire military asset of Seoul is evident.
South Korea has 23 submarines, mostly used in the hunter killer role. Finally, less than 30 thousand, the American soldiers stationed in the country.
