Seoul: South Korea, the United States, and Japan on Wednesday conducted joint air drills involving two B-1B bombers, officials stated, following recent missile launches by North Korea. The exercise, which is the first of its kind this year, also involved South Korean F-15K and Japanese F-2 fighter jets, as reported by Seoul's defense ministry. The last such trilateral drills were held in November of the previous year.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the latest exercise aimed to enhance the joint capabilities of the three nations to deter and respond to the evolving nuclear and missile threats from Pyongyang. This includes North Korea's claimed launch of a hypersonic ballistic missile earlier in the month. North Korea launched what it identified as a hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile on January 6, followed by several short-range ballistic missile launches recently.
The North Korean government claimed that the January 6 test was successful, asserting that the new missile incorporated a new carbon fiber compound and an unspecified "comprehensive and effective" method. However, South Korea's military dismissed these claims as "deception," raising doubts about North Korea's hypersonic capabilities.
These missile tests occurred just days before the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, scheduled for January 20. The South Korean defense ministry emphasized that South Korea, the U.S., and Japan will continue to strengthen cooperation to jointly deter and respond to North Korea's threats, while also expanding trilateral drills based on close cooperation.
The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command stated that Wednesday's escort flight underscores the strong trilateral cooperation among the three nations, enabling an immediate coordinated response to regional security challenges. It affirmed the commitment of the three countries to a shared vision of a secure, rules-based, free, and open Indo-Pacific region.
In a separate event, the South Korean and U.S. Air Force conducted their first combined live-fire aerial exercise of the year on Wednesday. This exercise was part of efforts to bolster their joint defense posture and involved two F-15K fighters from South Korea's 11th Fighter Wing and two A-10 attack aircraft from the U.S. 51st Fighter Wing, engaging in close air support training with approximately 20 MK-82 bombs.