South Korea, US, Japan Hold First 2025 Joint Air Drills with B-1B Bomber Following North Korea's Hypersonic Missile Launch

Jan 15, 2025, 07:45 AM

South Korea, the United States, and Japan conducted joint air drills on Wednesday, marking the first such trilateral exercise of 2025, involving a U.S. B-1B bomber, following North Korea's recent missile launches. The exercises, which also included South Korean F-15K and Japanese F-2 fighter jets, were aimed at enhancing the trilateral deterrence and response capabilities against North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats. This came after North Korea launched several short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, and a claimed hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile earlier in the month. The drills underscore the commitment of the three nations to strengthen cooperation and expand trilateral exercises in response to North Korea's provocations.