South Korea, the United States and Japan will conduct their first joint aerial exercise near the Korean Peninsula on October 22, South Korean news agency reported on Wednesday.
“The joint aerial exercise involving South Korean, U.S. and Japanese Air Forces will consist of a formation flight with the B-52 escorted fighter jets from the three countries,” a source familiar with the matter was quoted as saying by the agency.
The US nuclear-capable B-52 bomber, which was deployed in bilateral drills over the peninsula before, made its first landing at a South Korean airbase on Tuesday.
Last week, the nuclear-powered US aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and its battle group arrived in South Korean largest seaport of Busan, prompting criticism from North Korea, which described the port call as a military provocation. The North argues that the buildup of nuclear assets on the peninsula is destabilizing the region.
