US, Allies Launch Major Naval Drills to Confront North Korea Threat

The United States military has concluded its naval drills in the East China Sea this week with Japan and South Korea to “deter” North Korea, and to “respond to threats” coming from the hermit country.

The Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group conducted trilateral exercises over a period of four days with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) and the Republic of Korea Navy. This was the first time that all three nations have participated in such drills since President Donald Trump’s inauguration, according to a U.S. Indo-Pacific Command release on Thursday.

The release stated that “the three countries will continue working closely together to deter threats from North Korea and respond jointly to them through trilateral exercise.”

Six other warships from three navies joined the USS Carl Vinson for the drills that were last held in November.

The release stated that the multi-domain exercises included group sails as well as advanced maritime communications training, maritime interdiction operation training, air combat drillings, staff exchanges, and other integration. It also served to further enhance the combined capabilities of participating navies.

Trump has stated that he will contact Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, to restart diplomacy. North Korea may not have responded directly to Trump’s offer, but the alleged U.S.-led hostilities towards North Korea have increased since Trump’s election.

The USS Vinson arrived at South Korea’s port on March 2 marking the first U.S. carrier groups to visit South Korea since June.

North Korea launched several ballistic missiles just a little over a week following the arrival of the Vinson Group.

The U.S., South Korea, and Japan also participated in the annual Freedom Shield drills and exercises that lasted for 10 days and concluded on Thursday. North Korea sees those drills as an invasion rehearsal.

“Exercises like Freedom Shield 25 ensure that our forces remain ready to respond to any threat, reaffirming our shared commitment to regional security,” Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, said in a release.