According to the South Korean military, joint naval exercises between South Korea and the US started on Friday using a US aircraft carrier.
The naval drills will take place from October 7 to 8, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea.
The drills follow North Korea’s Thursday sea launch of two ballistic missiles and subsequent flying of warplanes close to the South Korean border.
Through joint operations with the USS Ronald Reagan and its battle group, “we will continue to increase our operational capabilities and preparedness to respond to any provocations by North Korea,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff stated.
Since Tuesday’s test in which North Korea fired a ballistic missile that sailed over part of Japan, the US combat group has already taken part in three-way missile defence exercises with warships from Japan and South Korea.
Senior defence officials from Japan, South Korea, and the United States spoke on Friday, condemning the North’s launches and agreeing that the recent trilateral naval drills had strengthened their capacity to respond to North Korea, according to a statement from the South Korean Defense Ministry.
South Korea sent out 30 fighters in response to a rare bombing manoeuvre that involved at least eight North Korean fighter jets and four bombers on Thursday.
As tensions over Pyongyang’s recent missile tests rise, warplanes were seen flying over the strongly guarded border on both sides.
United States and South Korea participate in an aircraft carrier exercise.
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