U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin (far right) arrived in Japan on the 15th. Behind Secretary Austin, an aerial command and control aircraft E-4B, called the’Doomsday Aircraft’, can be seen. US Forces in Japan Twitter, Newsis
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is able to issue a “nuclear attack order” to US troops around the world on the 17th, so he travels to Korea on an airborne command and control aircraft (E-4B) called the “Doomsday plane”. It is observed that the E-4B with the U.S. Defense Minister’s trip to Korea contained a warning message against North Korea in four years after the then-Defense Minister James Mathis visited Korea in 2017.
On the 13th (local time), Austin, who went on an E-4B tour to Asia from the Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, USA, is visiting Japan on the 16th through the US Indian-Pacific Headquarters in Hawaii, his first destination. On the afternoon of the 17th, he will arrive in Korea and hold a meeting with the Defense Minister Seo-wook and the ROK and US defense ministers.
US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin (right) examines the honor guard before a meeting with Japanese Defense Minister Kishi Nobuo at the Tokyo Defense Ministry on the 16th. Tokyo = AP Newsis
Austin, the first head of defense in the Biden administration, is the first black secretary of defense in U.S. history. After graduating from West Point, the U.S. Military Academy in 1975, he was a four-star general who served in the military for 41 years, and is said to have broken many barriers as a black man in the mainstream U.S. military.
The reason why Secretary Austin’s E-4B comes on board is drawing attention because of the aircraft’s command function and power. It is known as an exclusive aircraft for the US Secretary of Defense, but it is said that he does not ride the E-4B every time outside the schedule. When the US President orders a nuclear attack, the E-4B delivers and commands the attack code to US troops around the world via satellite. Intercontinental ballistic missiles, strategic bombers, and even submarines are spread. E-4B is known to be filled with command and communication facilities except for some seats. Currently, the United States, which has four E-4Bs, has at least one in the sky for 24 hours to prepare for nuclear attacks by hostile powers. For this reason, it is also called’flying pentagon’ and’night watch’.
The U.S. Strategic Command unveiled on Twitter in June last year during the training of the air command and control aircraft E-4B. US Strategic Command Twitter, Newsis
Some interpret the E-4B’s trip to Korea as a warning message to North Korea. This is because there is no reason to move the US strategic assets for no reason. When tensions on the Korean peninsula increased, such as the North Korean bombing of the Gaeseong Inter-Korean Liaison Office in June of last year, the US Strategic Command disclosed the E-4B’s training scene. Defense Minister Robert Gates in 2010 and Defense Secretary Mathis in 2017 also used the E-4B. In particular, 2017 was a period of heightened North Korean nuclear threat.
Austin, who is visiting Korea with US Secretary of State Tony Blincoln, will also attend the ‘2+2 talks’ in which Foreign Minister Eui-yong Chung and Defense Minister Seo-wook sit face-to-face. However, taking into account the aftermath of the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19), it is known that they will not visit the US-Korea combined military exercise (ROK-US combined training) or visit Panmunjom and the front units separately. Defense Ministry spokesman Bu Seung-chan said at a regular briefing the day before, “the schedule is considerably minimized due to various circumstances such as Corona 19.”
Seungim Jeong reporter [email protected]
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