SEOUL: South Korea and the United States have begun joint naval exercises near the Korean Peninsula, involving a US aircraft carrier and more than 20 warships from both countries.
According to the Ministry of Defense of South Korea, the joint naval exercises that began on Monday will continue for four days in the East Sea of South Korea.
The exercises will involve more than 20 warships, including the 7,600-ton Aegis destroyer and the South Korean side. The 4,400-ton destroyer as well as the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier strike group arrived in South Korea’s southeastern city of Busan on Friday.
The strike group consists of the Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, the USS Chancellorsville guided-missile cruiser, the USS Barry Arleigh-Berke-class destroyer and the USS Benfold guided-missile destroyer.
The nuclear-powered submarine USS Annapolis will also reportedly participate in the naval exercises. This is the first time in nearly five years that a US aircraft carrier has visited South Korea for joint military exercises.
A variety of aircraft and helicopters are participating in the naval exercises, including F/A-18E Super Hornets, maritime surveillance P-3 and P-8 aircraft, AW-159 and MH-60R helicopters, F-15K and KF- 16 fighter jets and AH-64E Apache helicopters are included.
The joint naval forces of the two countries will conduct various exercises related to anti-ship and anti-submarine operations, tactical maneuvers and other maritime operations.
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has condemned the joint exercises as a rehearsal for an attack by the North.
