S. Korea, US Stage Joint Air Drills Involving B-1B Bomber

SEOUL, Feb 20 (Bernama-Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States (US) on Thursday held combined air drills, involving at least one B-1B bomber, the South's Defence Ministry said, in a show of force against North Korean military threats, Yonhap News Agency reported. 

South Korean F-35A and F-15K fighter jets and US F-16 fighters also took part in the joint drills, which marked the first such exercise between the allies this year.

"The training was conducted to display the US extended deterrence capabilities against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats and bolster the interoperability of South Korea-U.S. combined forces," the ministry said in a release.

bootstrap slideshow

Under close coordination, the allies will seek to strengthen their cooperation by continuously expanding joint drills to deter and counter North Korean threats, it added.

The latest exercise marked the first joint air drills between the allies, involving the B-1B bomber, following US President Donald Trump's return to the White House last month.

The two countries earlier held trilateral air drills with Japan on Jan 15, involving two B-1B bombers in addition to South Korean F-15K and Japanese F-2 fighter jets.

Two days later, North Korea warned of taking action "more intensively" to exercise its right to self-defence, denouncing the three countries for conducting the trilateral exercise.

North Korea has been dialling up tensions on the Korean Peninsula this year, with multiple missile launches into waters off its coasts, including what it called sea-launched strategic cruise missiles.

-- BERNAMA-YONHAP