As they increase military training to meet the escalating dangers posed by North Korea’s nuclear-capable missiles, the United States, South Korea, and Japan conducted a joint missile defense exercise on Monday in waters close to the Korean Peninsula.
The first flight test of an intercontinental ballistic missile propelled by solid propellants was conducted by North Korea last week in one of its most provocative weapons displays in years.
This comes as the country works to develop an arsenal that is more responsive, more challenging to detect, and capable of hitting the entire US mainland.
Since the beginning of 2022, North Korea has conducted an unprecedented series of weapons tests that have involved more than 100 missiles of varying ranges fired into the sea.
The nation attempts to develop a workable nuclear arsenal that might threaten its adversarial neighbors.
The military exercises between South Korea, the United States, and Japan could incite North Korea to retaliate militarily because it views these exercises as invasion rehearsals.
Tensions have risen recently due to the North using those drills to quicken its weapons’ construction.
According to South Korea’s navy, the three-way naval exercises on Monday were held in international waters off the country’s eastern coast and were aimed at perfecting the protocols for spotting, monitoring, and exchanging information about approaching North Korean ballistic missiles.
Each nation sent an Aegis destroyer to the one-day naval drill.
According to Jang Do-young, a spokesperson for the South Korean Navy, “The drills’ purpose is to improve our response capabilities against ballistic missiles and strengthen our ability to conduct joint operations as North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats continue to escalate.”
As the “security environment surrounding Japan increasingly becomes severe” due to North Korea’s missile operations, the Joint Staff of Japan emphasized the need to expand trilateral cooperation in a statement.
Additionally, on Monday, the United States and South Korea began joint military exercises that will last until April 28 and involve about 110 aircraft, including cutting-edge F-35 fighter fighters.
According to the armies, the U.S.-South Korean aerial drills are intended to improve the execution of combined airpower and educate aircrews to respond successfully in combat scenarios with significant surface-to-air and air-to-air threats.
The training exercises “reaffirm America’s unwavering commitment to the ROK,” according to America. Using the initials of South Korea’s official name, the Republic of Korea, the Seventh Air Force made a statement.
JOIN US ON WHAT'SAPP, TO GET INSTANT STATUS UPDATES AND BE IN THE KNOW.
CLICK HERE
