The United States and South Korea conducted joint air exercises Wednesday over waters in the Yellow Sea, located between the Korean Peninsula and China, the first such exercises since the beginning of the year.
A B-1B bomber, as well as U.S. Air Force F-22 and F-35B stealth fighters and South Korean F-35A aircraft took part in the maneuvers, which are aimed at enhancing bilateral military capabilities in the face of the threat posed by North Korea.
«The combined air drills show the U.S. willingness and ability to provide a strong and credible extended deterrence against North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats,» the ministry said in a statement carried by Yonhap news agency.
U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg on Wednesday called on the South Korean government to have confidence in Washington’s «containment capability» against the threat posed by North Korea to the region.
U.S. and South Korean Defense Ministers Lloyd Austin and Lee Jong Sup met the day before to address the situation in the region. The talks took place as the countries seek to bolster their containment capabilities as Pyongyang develops its ballistic and nuclear program.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)