South Korea, Japan and the US, the major enemies of North Korea in a long staged long-planned joint naval exercise involving an American aircraft carrier to ensure that they are prepared against nuclear and missile threats or offensives from North Korea, South Korea’s navy said on Friday.
Statement from South Korea
“The participating forces conducted anti-submarine warfare drills to improve their responses to North Korean underwater threats including from submarines and submarine-launched ballistic missiles,” the South’s navy said in a statement.
South Korea, Japan and the US, are using the Theodore Roosevelt, an air carrier, and the destroyers Howard, Russell, and Daniel Inouye were part of the warships from the neighbouring nations , mostly from South East Asia along with India, taking part in the two-day exercises which began on Thursday in international waters where military activity between South Korea and Japan is allowed.
As to the Seouls navy, the drill is part of a multi-year joint exercise plan that was set up during the three-way meeting last year and aims to boost their combined capability in combating North Korea’s threats.
Along with conducting maritime interdiction drills to prevent the North from smuggling nuclear weapons into the country, the three naval vessels also trained in search and rescue procedures to help ships in distress.
Seoul’s defence ministry also stated that during the annual military meetings between US and South Korean defence officials on Thursday in Washington, they confirmed their plans for conducting simulated exercises that will simulate North Korea’s use of nuclear weapons during upcoming summer drills.
