The U.S. and South Korean Air Forces began a series of joint military maneuvers on the Korean Peninsula on Tuesday in a bid to bolster the credibility of U.S. «containment,» as explained by the South Korean Defense Ministry.
The military exercises, which have taken place in the air defense identification zone south of Jeju Island, have been attended by a US B-52 strategic bomber and several F-22 fighters. The maneuvers are taking place amid heightened tensions with North Korea, which conducted a new medium-range ballistic missile launch on Sunday.
Several South Korean F-35A and F15K fighters have joined the maneuvers, according to Yonhap news agency. With these maneuvers, the sides are seeking to increase their interoperability and test procedures to protect their aircraft.
«South Korea and the United States will solidify their combined defense as part of their alliance in the face of the North Korean nuclear threat,» the South Korean ministry has asserted.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)