The South Korean Defense Ministry said the US military also sent F-16 and F-15 fighter jets along with bombers to participate in the exercise, which also involved South Korean F-35 and KF-16 jets.
US Air Force B-52, C-17 and F-22 strategic bombers participate in joint exercises with the Republic of Korea Air Force. Photo: US Department of Defense
The drills, along with the arrival of a US nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine in South Korea for the first time in nearly six years, show that the frequency and intensity of deployment of US strategic assets is being increased, the ministry said.
The exercises also demonstrate the allies' commitment to bolstering their combined defense posture by "improving interoperability between our extended deterrence, including U.S. nuclear forces, and our military's advanced conventional forces," South Korea's defense ministry said in a statement.
The US and South Korean militaries have conducted various exercises since March, including air and sea drills involving an aircraft carrier and US B-1B and B-52 bombers.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and US President Joe Biden agreed at a summit in April to increase the deployment of US strategic assets amid rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
Bui Huy (according to Yonhap, Reuters)
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