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South Korea and the United States launched combined military air exercises on Tuesday featuring F-18 and F-35 fighter jets.
According to the agency, the objective of the air exercises between Seoul and Washington is to “strengthen joint combat capabilities against North Korea’s evolving threats,” South Korean news agency Yonhap reported.
“The exercise will run through August 8 at an air base in Suwon, south of Seoul, and feature the US Marine Corps’ F/A-18C/D and F-35B fighters as well as South Korea’s F-16, FA-50, KA-1 and F-15K aircraft, according to the Air Force,” Yonhap stated.
“The joint air drills will include training on base fighter maneuvers, close air support, air interdiction and defense counter air, meant to enhance the allies’ interoperability of different types of aircraft,” the news agency added.
Late last month, the United States, South Korea and Japan held their first-ever trilateral military exercise, dubbed the Freedom Edge, in international waters south of South Korea’s island of Jeju. The drills involved planes, helicopters and ships, including the US Navy’s USS Theodore Roosevelt and South Korea’s ROKS Seoae Ryu Seong-ryong destroyer.
At that time, the North Korean Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the Freedom Edge trilateral military exercise held in the region, describing it as an attempt to “escalate regional military tensions, exert pressure upon the Far East of Russia and lay siege to China.”.