An intermediate-range strategic missile launched toward the East Sea from the country’s eastern region as part of a North Korean drill on Oct. 3 is seen in this photo released by the North’s official Rodong Sinmun the following day.NEWS1
Three key U.S. reconnaissance aircraft were flying over the East Sea at the same time and place when North Korea fired a ballistic missile last week, according to Voice of America's (VOA) analysis of flight-tracking data on Tuesday.
The aircraft were the U.S. Air Force's RC-135S Cobra Ball special reconnaissance aircraft, the MQ-9B SeaGuardian drone and the ARES, a next-generation reconnaissance and electronic warfare aircraft.
The overlap draws attention to the possibility that Seoul and Washington closely tracked the situation before and after the launch, as well as the missile's flight path.
According to VOA's analysis of Flightradar24, Cobra Ball entered the East Sea from waters near Japan at around 5:26 a.m. on Saturday. It was still over the East Sea when North Korea fired a single ballistic missile from the Wonsan area into the East Sea at around 6:30 a.m.
The Cobra Ball is a special reconnaissance aircraft. The U.S. military operates only three. They use advanced electronic and optical equipment to detect signs of a ballistic missile launch from long range. After launch, they track the missile's flight path and collect data on warhead re-entry.
The SeaGuardian, an unmanned aircraft capable of long-endurance flight and used for maritime surveillance and reconnaissance, was monitoring the East Sea before the launch. It took off at around 10:40 p.m. on Friday and flew along the coastline, surveilling waters near the East Sea.
North Korea fires an intermediate-range strategic missile on Oct. 3, overseen by its leader Kim Jong-un, in this photo carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Oct. 4.NEWS1
The ARES, which collects and analyzes communications and electronic signals, was deployed during the same period. It took off from Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, at around 11:45 p.m. on Friday and crossed the Korean Peninsula, flying back and forth between the East Sea and Yellow Sea. When the missile was fired at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday, the aircraft was over the open waters of the East Sea.
Aircraft believed to be South Korean military reconnaissance assets were also detected over inland areas of the peninsula and the East Sea. Their exact models could not be confirmed, but they appeared to be flying what were presumed to be reconnaissance missions over the East Sea, according to VOA.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile flew more than 700 kilometers (435 miles). Japan's Ministry of Defense put the distance at 680 kilometers. North Korea, however, claimed through state media that it had test-fired a hypersonic intermediate-range strategic missile that flew 1,000 kilometers.
Kim Yo-jong, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister and a department director of the ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee, mocked South Korea's and Japan's missile detection capabilities on the day of the launch, claiming that enemy detection systems lost track of the target after the initial ascent phase.
South Korea's Ministry of National Defense rebutted this on Sunday, saying that “the missile recently launched by North Korea is at a level that can be sufficiently detected and intercepted with defense assets held by South Korea and the United States.”
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.
