South Korea, US, Japan hold first-ever joint aerial drills

The South Korean Air Force has said that it, the US and Japan held a trilateral aerial exercise for the first time on October 22 near the Korean Peninsula.

The drill was part of their efforts to enhance defence cooperation amid North Korea's growing missile and nuclear threats. South Korean military sources said this was the first such exercise conducted by the three countries, while they have held bilateral ones before, according to Kyodo.

The latest exercise involved fighter jets from the South Korean Air Force, the US Air Force and Japan's Air Self-Defence Force escorting a US B-52 strategic bomber, which landed at a South Korean air base.

The nuclear-capable bomber made the rare landing in South Korea after staging a commemorative flight at a biennial defence trade show held in Seongnam, near Seoul, and holding joint drills with South Korean fighter jets.

The deployment of a US B-52 strategic bomber to South Korea for reasons other than participating in joint military drills is considered to be rare.

The US and its two Asian security allies will continue strengthening trilateral cooperation, South Korea's air force said.