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S. Korea, US hold joint air drills

06 March 2023 13:41 (UTC +04:00)

South Korea and the U.S. staged combined air drills Monday, involving at least one U.S. nuclear-capable B-52H strategic bomber, Seoul's defense ministry said, APA reports citing The Korea Times.

The exercise took place over the Yellow Sea, mobilizing the bomber as well as the South's F-15K and KF-16 fighter jets. The allies held similar drills, involving a U.S. B-1B bomber, on Friday.

The deployment of high-profile U.S. military assets came amid concerns that Pyongyang could launch provocations in response to the allies' Freedom Shield (FS) exercise set to take place from March 13-23.

"The U.S.' deployment of the B-52H strategic bomber to the Korean Peninsula demonstrates the alliance's decisive and overwhelming capability and posture to deter, and respond against advancing nuclear and missile threats from North Korea," the ministry said in a release.

The U.S. previously deployed a B-52H bomber here in December last year.

Aside from their preparations for the FS and other field drills, the allies have sought to sharpen their vigilance against North Korean provocations.