U.S. again flies surveillance aircraft over S. Korea: aviation tracker

All News 08:42 December 24, 2019

SEOUL, Dec. 24 (Yonhap) -- The United States flew surveillance aircraft over the Korean Peninsula, an aviation tracker said Tuesday, the latest in a series of flights to monitor North Korea amid growing concerns Pyongyang could test-fire a long-range missile as an unwelcome "Christmas gift."

The E-8C aircraft, or JSTARS, was spotted over the Korean Peninsula at 29,000 feet, Aircraft Spots said on its Twitter account without specifying the exact time of the operation.

This type of aircraft was spotted above the peninsula over the weekend, according to the aviation tracker Saturday.

As a platform for airborne command and control, surveillance and reconnaissance, the E-8C is known to be capable of closely monitoring North Korea's troops and equipment movements, including missiles and artillery guns.

Hours later, the Aircraft Spots said the U.S. RC-135W Rivet Joint carried out missions over the peninsula at 31,000 feet. It is the third time in a row that this type of aircraft has been detected here, according to the Twitter account.

The U.S. has deployed several types of its spy planes over South Korea nearly on a daily basis since last week, including the EP-3E naval aircraft.

Those flights came at a time when North Korea has threatened to take a path other than dialogue if the U.S. fails to come up with new proposals by the end of this year to move their stalled denuclearization talks forward.

Warning that the deadline is drawing near, the North said it is entirely up to the U.S. to decide what "Christmas gift" it gets, deepening concern the regime could conduct an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch.

As the latest military move, Pyongyang conducted rocket engine tests twice at its Dongchang-ri satellite launching site earlier this month.

"In preparation for any possible provocative moves by North Korea, South Korea and the U.S. military have maintained a staunch readiness posture and increased monitoring," a military source here said.