“Showcasing combined deterrence and response capabilities … The promise of defense between Korea and Japan is strong”
Immediately following the North Korean Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) provocation, the U.S. military conducted military exercises with the South Korean Air Force and the Japanese Self-Defense Air Force, respectively, on the 4th (now Korean), reaffirming the their defense commitments to the two countries.
In a press release the same day, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command announced that after North Korea launched a ballistic missile that passed over Japan, the U.S. Air Force in Korea and the South Korean Air Force under the Inta command conducted a joint exercise in the West Sea that day.
The air forces of both countries conducted live fire exercises with joint air-to-ground direct attack (JDAM) shells at the Jikdo shooting range off the coast of Gunsan, Jeollabuk-do.
Earlier, South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff also announced that a combined strike squadron consisting of four ROK Air Force F-15K fighters and four US Air Force F-16 fighters in Korea conducted precision bombing drills. .
The Intae command explained that the purpose of the training was “to demonstrate the combined deterrence and dynamic attack capabilities of the ROK and the United States and demonstrate the interoperability of the two military forces.”
“The United States is committed to peace and prosperity in the region to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific,” he said.
Intae Command also announced that F-35B fighters belonging to the United States Marine Corps and F-15 and F-2 fighters belonging to the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force conducted bilateral exercises over the East Sea on the same day.
The Intae command marked the East Sea as the “Sea of Japan” in the press release.
The US military and Japanese air self-defense forces regularly train together to improve operational readiness and respond to threats in the region, defend the two countries and strengthen peace and stability in the region, Intae command explained.
The Intae command also tweeted on the 4th that the US aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan, the destroyer Aegis Benfold, the guided missile cruiser Chancellorville, the Korean Navy destroyer Munmu the Great, and the Japanese maritime self-defense forces. He also released photos of the naval exercise conducted in the presence of the naval forces of the three countries, including the destroyer Asahi.
This is being interpreted as a warning to North Korea that it is making provocations one after another, including launching ballistic missiles.
