While North Korea test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the Hwasong-15, on the 18th, the US and Japanese Self-Defense Forces held an air-to-air joint exercise in the East Sea on the 19th.
In a press release on the 19th, the US Forces Korea Command announced that the US Indo-Pacific Command will deploy US B-1 bombers and F-16 fighter jets in the East Sea to demonstrate its combined capabilities to deter and respond to threats in the region. It said that joint training was conducted with
“The exercise was conducted to demonstrate our rapid response capabilities, high level of military readiness, close coordination, interoperability, and credible deterrence capabilities,” he said.
Japan’s Ministry of Defense also announced that the Self-Defense Forces and the US Army held a joint drill amid a growing security environment surrounding Japan, such as the North Korean regime launching an ICBM-class ballistic missile and dropping it into Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
He added that the exercise confirmed the combined readiness of Japan and the United States and further strengthened deterrence and response capabilities.
VOA News
