U.S. Navy and Army reconnaissance aircraft operated over the Korean Peninsula as North Korea test-fired submarine-launched strategic cruise missiles.
The U.S. Navy MQ-4C Triton, a high-altitude, long-endurance maritime surveillance drone
UNITED STATES NAVY
U.S. Navy and Army surveillance aircraft reportedly flew over the Korean Peninsula on Wednesday as North Korea test-fired two types of submarine-launched strategic cruise missiles in the East Sea.
A U.S. Navy MQ-4C Triton — a high-altitude, long-endurance maritime surveillance drone — repeatedly flew over the central Korean Peninsula and the East Sea for about nine hours Wednesday, according to a Thursday report by the Voice of America (VOA) that cited Flightradar24 flight-tracking data.
The Triton took off from Okinawa, Japan, around 2 a.m. Wednesday and flew north toward the Korean Peninsula, the VOA reported. It reached waters south of the peninsula around 4 a.m., continued north along the Yellow Sea and entered South Korean airspace near Ansan, Gyeonggi, an hour later. It then flew back and forth between central Korea and the East Sea along South Korea’s northern airspace boundary about 10 times before departing the peninsula around 1 p.m.
The U.S. media outlet described the Triton as an asset included in the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operation by the U.S. Navy.
Adapted from the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk for naval missions, the aircraft is designed to monitor vast stretches of ocean and coastal areas for extended periods. The Triton can operate above 50,000 feet for more than a day, with a range of 7,400 nautical miles, according to the U.S. Navy.
Wednesday’s flight was not the Triton’s first appearance over the Korean Peninsula. The VOA reported that the drone made five to six passes back and forth over central Korea during a five-hour flight in July, then returned three days later for several hours of similar activity.
The VOA also identified recent flights by a U.S. Army ARES reconnaissance and electronic warfare aircraft over the Korean Peninsula, which traveled between the East Sea and the Yellow Sea.
The ARES departed the Pyeongtaek area in Gyeonggi around 11:48 p.m. Tuesday, flew several times between the East Sea and the Yellow Sea, and returned at about 8:11 a.m. Wednesday, according to Flightradar24.
Flight path of the U.S. Navy MQ-4C Triton on Oct. 14
FLIGHTRADAR24
The ARES is built to collect electronic intelligence, from communications to radar signals, as part of the U.S. Army’s reconnaissance and electronic warfare operations. A modified version of Canada’s Bombardier BD-700 business jet, the aircraft is also believed to gather intelligence on North Korea, the VOA reported.
“It remains unclear whether the two aircraft were deployed to monitor signs of North Korean missile launches or other military activity,” the VOA reported in Korean. “But U.S. reconnaissance flights have repeatedly been observed around the time of North Korean missile activity in recent months, a pattern that has drawn attention.”
The media also reported that three U.S. military surveillance aircraft — the Cobra Ball, SeaGuardian and ARES — were operating near the East Sea when North Korea fired a ballistic missile on Oct. 3. An aircraft believed to be operated by the Korean military closely monitored the area during another launch on Monday.
U.S. Forces Korea reiterated its commitment to maintaining a strong, responsive and combat-ready military posture on the Korean Peninsula. It reaffirmed the Pentagon’s commitment to Korea’s defense when the VOA asked about the two aircraft’s flight.
The Missile Administration of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea test-fired two kinds of submarine-launched strategic cruise missiles in the East Sea of Korea on Wednesday, the regime-controlled Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Thursday. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is the official name of North Korea.
The South Korean military did not announce the launches.
BY CHO MUN-GYU [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.