Flight Map Shows US Watch for Possible North Korea Missile Launch

A U.S. spy plane has flown missions to Northeast Asia on five consecutive days to monitor potential missile launches from nuclear-armed North Korea, flight data showed.

Newsweek has reach out to the U.S. Pacific Air Forces for further comment via email. North Korea‘s embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Why It Matters

North Korea, which refuses to abandon its nuclear weapons, frequently launches missiles for tests and exercises over the Sea of Japan, known as the East Sea in South Korea. It has also developed long-range missiles capable of striking the U.S. mainland with nuclear warheads.

The U.S. Air Force operates a range of reconnaissance aircraft for different missions and often deploys them to Kadena Air Base on Okinawa Island in Japan‘s southwestern waters. It is a key U.S. military hub in the Western Pacific for projecting power in contingencies.

The recent American spy flights come as satellite imagery revealed suspected activity at a rumored secret site linked to North Korea’s nuclear program, and as leader Kim Jong Un toured a missile factory before departing for a military parade in China scheduled for Wednesday.

What To Know

Using aircraft tracking data from the online service Flightradar24, a Newsweek map shows that an Air Force RC-135S reconnaissance aircraft—also known as Cobra Ball—began the first of five flights over the Sea of Japan from Kadena Air Base at around 2:30 a.m. local time on Friday.

The “rapidly deployable” aircraft, which is designed to collect optical and electronic data on ballistic missiles, was tracked flying northward and reaching the waters west of Japan’s main island of Honshu. The aircraft returned back to Okinawa after an almost 13-hour mission.

The same Cobra Ball aircraft flew similar early morning missions over the next four days. @MeNMyRC1, an open-source intelligence analyst on the social media platform X, said the aircraft was supported by an aerial refueling tanker to extend its time over the Sea of Japan.

Except for the mission on Saturday, for which Flightradar24 did not provide flight hours, the Cobra Ball aircraft flew close to 13 hours on three of the five flights. The most recent mission on Tuesday lasted six hours and was not supported by an aerial refueling tanker.

According to @MeNMyRC1, the Cobra Ball aircraft, registered as 61-2662, was deployed to Okinawa from Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska on July 15 but did not fly its first mission until August 8. Its second mission, tracked over the Sea of Japan, took place on August 14.

The U.S. Air Force said the Cobra Ball fleet, currently consisting of three aircraft, conducts missions directed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff that are of national priority. Data collected is critical to the development of U.S. strategic defense and theater missile defense concepts.

What People Are Saying

The U.S. Air Force said in a fact sheet: “The RC-135S, equipped with a sophisticated array of optical and electronic sensors, recording media, and communications equipment, is a national asset uniquely suited to provide America’s leaders and defense community with vital information that cannot be obtained by any other source.”

The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency said in its missile threat assessment report: “Missile threats to the U.S. homeland will expand in scale and sophistication in the coming decade. […] North Korea has successfully tested ballistic missiles with sufficient range to reach the entire Homeland.”

What Happens Next

It remains to be seen whether North Korea will conduct missile tests or exercises during Kim’s visit to China. The U.S. military is likely to continue deploying reconnaissance aircraft near the Korean Peninsula to monitor North Korea’s nuclear and missile activities.