The United States has deployed F-35 stealth fighter jets for a military exercise in South Korea amid the threat posed by North Korea, according to photos released by the Pentagon.
The war game, code-named Ulchi Freedom Shield 25, began on August 18 and aims to strengthen the response capabilities of the U.S. and its treaty ally South Korea.
North Korea has denounced the drill as an "expression" of the allies' will to invade the country, warning that if Washington and Seoul "continuously persist in the...military rehearsal," they would face an unpleasant situation and "pay a price."
The U.S. and South Korea -- which signed a mutual defense treaty in 1953 following the cessation of hostilities in the Korean War -- regularly conduct military training and exercises to bolster their capabilities to deter and defend against aggression from North Korea.
Under leader Kim Jong Un, North Korea has undergone a military buildup that modernized its nuclear missiles -- capable of targeting the U.S. mainland -- and its naval forces. Kim has also deepened ties with Russia by sending soldiers to support its war against Ukraine.
In a photo released by the U.S. Air Force on Sunday, two F-35A fighter aircraft can be seen flying alongside an F-16 jet during a dogfighting training scenario as part of Exercise Ulchi Freedom Shield 25. The training drill took place at Kunsan Air Base in South Korea on August 20.
Dogfighting refers to an aerial battle between fighter aircraft. The recent training drill offered participants "realistic combat scenarios designed to bolster shared understanding and combined defense capabilities," the photo caption reads.
Citing the U.S. Forces Korea, Yonhap News Agency reported on Monday that a group of 10 U.S.-operated F-35A and F-35B fighter jets has been temporarily deployed to Kunsan Air Base for Exercise Ulchi Freedom Shield 25, which is scheduled to conclude on Thursday.
The F-35A jets are assigned to the 421st Fighter Squadron. The unit -- stationed at Hill Air Force Base in Utah -- deployed fighter jets to Kadena Air Base on Okinawa Island, Japan, in April as part of "continuous rotations of aircraft" there.
The F-35B jets were likely dispatched from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, a base on Honshu, one of Japan's four main islands. Unlike its sister variant, the F-35A, that operates from conventional runways, the F-35B is capable of short takeoffs and vertical landings.
Kim Yong Bok, first vice-chief of the General Staff of the North Korean military, issued a statement on Monday regarding the war game, accusing it of having a "threatening nature," as well as showing a U.S. intention to occupy the Korean Peninsula and attack its adversaries in the region.
Kim Yong Bok, first vice-chief of the General Staff of the North Korean military, said in a statement on Monday: "It is a generally-acknowledged fact that the large-scale war drill against a state can never be 'defensive' one as it is being staged by the world's biggest nuclear weapons state and more than ten satellite states in the region of the Korean peninsula technically at war."
U.S. Forces Korea said in a statement on August 6: "[Ulchi Freedom Shield 25] is conducted in support of the Armistice Agreement, fortifies the combined defense posture, and enhances response capabilities. It reinforces the role of the alliance as the linchpin for regional peace and security, reaffirming the ironclad commitment between the United States and [South Korea] to defend their homelands."
It remains to be seen whether North Korea will conduct missile launches in response to the allied military exercise.
The U.S. could deploy additional military units as part of the drill.