South Korea, Japan and the United States conducted a joint air drill involving the US B-52 strategic bomber and fighter jets from the two Asian countries, Reuters reported, quoted by News.bg.
For the first time this year, the B-52 was deployed to the Korean Peninsula as part of an exercise aimed at strengthening deterrence against growing nuclear and missile threats from North Korea, an official statement said.
In parallel with the exercise, the defense ministers of the three countries met in Seoul for an annual trilateral meeting. They stressed the importance of close cooperation to address the threats emanating from North Korea, as well as broader security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.
“We are charting a path forward together. A path where partnerships can evolve through sustained and regular engagement, from capacity building to real sharing of responsibilities,“ said General Daniel Cain, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, in his opening remarks.
He warned that North Korea and China were undertaking large-scale military buildups with clear intentions. “We need to keep that in mind,“ added General Cain.