The U. S. is participating in a joint exercise with South Korea.
Two hundred and thirty U. S. military aircraft and 12,000 American personnel are participating in a five-day annual joint exercise with the South Korean military known as Vigilant Ace 18.
The exercise was scheduled long in advance but comes at a time of heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula and just a week after North Korea’s latest intercontinental ballistic missile test reached its highest altitude yet.
“U. S. Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy personnel will train with air assets from the Republic of Korea, flying 230 aircraft at eight U. S. and ROK military installations,” read a statement from the U. S. Air Force’s Pacific Air Forces Command issued in advance of the long-scheduled exercise. “VIGILANT ACE is part of a continuous exercise program designed to enhance readiness and operational capability of U. S. and ROK forces.”
The statement continued: « This realistic air combat exercise is designed to enhance interoperability between U. S. and Republic of Korea forces and increase the combat effectiveness of both nations.
