US aircraft carrier joins military drills with South Korea, Japan
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The nuclear-powered USS George Washington will be the centrepiece in the Freedom Edge war exercise.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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SEOUL – South Korea’s military will hold a three-day joint exercise with the United States and Japan starting on Nov 13, featuring fighter jets and marine patrol aircraft, as well as the US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington.
The Freedom Edge exercise is a response to what the South Korean military said have been threats from North Korea, which recently conducted an intercontinental ballistic missile test, drawing condemnation from Seoul, Tokyo and Washington.
It also comes as the US State Department said North Korean troops have started engaging in combat operations in Russia’s war with Ukraine.
The trilateral exercise follows a first round held earlier in 2024 after the leaders of the three countries agreed at a summit in 2023 to hold annual training drills.
Pyongyang has long condemned joint drills between South Korea and the US, calling them a rehearsal for invasion.
The trilateral exercise will also include maritime missile defence training and cyber defence training.
In a statement on Nov 12, the US Air Force said it would retire its A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft in key regions, including South Korea, in fiscal year 2025 as part of its modernisation strategy.
The aircraft, nicknamed “The Warthog”, was developed for the US Air Force by the Fairchild Republic Company. REUTERS
