“Showing off the combined deterrence and response capabilities… The promise of defense between Korea and Japan is strong”
Immediately following North Korea’s interim-range ballistic missile (IRBM) provocation, the US military conducted military exercises with the South Korean Air Force and Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force, respectively, on the 4th (Korean time), reaffirming their defense commitments to the two countries.
In a press release on the same day, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command announced that following North Korea launched a ballistic missile that passed over Japan, the U.S. Air Force in Korea and the South Korean Air Force under the Inta Command conducted a joint exercise in the West Sea that day.
The air forces of the two countries conducted live-fire drills with air-to-ground joint direct strike (JDAM) bullets at the Jikdo shooting range off the coast of Gunsan, Jeollabuk-do.
Earlier, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff also announced that a combined strike squadron consisting of four F-15K fighters from the ROK Air Force and four F-16 fighters from the US Air Force in Korea conducted precision bombing exercises.
Intae Command explained that the purpose of the training was “to demonstrate the combined deterrence and dynamic strike capabilities of the ROK and the United States, and to demonstrate the interoperability of the two military forces.”
“The United States is committed to ensuring peace and prosperity in the region to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific,” he said.
The Intae Command also announced that F-35B fighters belonging to the US Marine Corps and F-15 and F-2 fighters belonging to the Japan Air Self-Defense Force conducted bilateral exercises over the East Sea on the same day.
Intae Command marked the East Sea as the ‘Sea of Japan’ in the press release.
The U.S. Army and Japan Air Self-Defense Forces regularly train together to improve operational readiness and respond to threats in the region, defend the two countries, and strengthen peace and stability in the region, Intae Command explained.
Intae Command also tweeted on the 4th that the US aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan, the Aegis destroyer Benfold, the guided missile cruiser Chancellorville, the Korean Navy destroyer Munmu the Great, and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces He also released photos of the maritime exercise conducted with the participation of naval forces from the three countries, including the destroyer Asahi.
This is interpreted as a warning to North Korea, which is making provocations one following another, including the launch of ballistic missiles.
/yunhap news
