US Spy Plane Flies Over Korean Peninsula

Plane flew in Yellow Sea between Korea and China

A US RC-135W flew over the Korean Peninsula on Wednesday, and flew into the area over the Yellow Sea, which is between Korea and China. This is the most recent of several flights by the plane, which is meant to detect missile launches.

Likely, the reason for this is the upcoming Eighth Party Congress in North Korea, which is the sort of occasional where they might test-fire a missile system, and the US may be looking for signs of such preparations.

At the same time, the plane got quite close to Chinese airspace, and that may have been another opportunity for the Trump Administration to needle China, something they’ve been doing regularly.

South Korea’s military is reporting more US surveillance flights during this “transition period.” US B-1B bombers have also been deployed in the region.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.