U.S commanders stress 'ironclad' commitment to defend South-Korea

The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) is escorted into Busan port, South Korea, after completing a joint drill with the South Korean military, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017. U.S. naval commanders on Saturday reiterated Washington's "ironclad" commitment to defend South Korea against North Korean threats as the American nuclear-powered aircraft carrier visited a South Korean port following a joint naval drill. (Jo Jung-ho/Yonhap via AP)

U.S. naval commanders on Saturday reiterated Washington's "ironclad" commitment to defend South Korea against North Korean threats as an American nuclear-powered aircraft carrier visited a South Korean port following a joint naval drill. [BUSAN, South Korea (AP)]

Rear Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of Naval Forces Korea, said aboard the USS Ronald Reagan that the drills enhanced the allies' ability to coordinate operations.

The five-day drills that ended Friday involved fighter jets, helicopters and 40 naval ships and submarines from the two countries training for potential North Korean aggression. In an apparent show of force against North Korea, the United States also sent several of its advanced warplanes, including four F-22 and F-35 fighter jets and two B-1B long-range bombers, for an air show and exhibition in Seoul that began on Tuesday.

The drills came ahead of President Donald Trump's first official visit to Asia next month that's likely to be overshadowed by tensions with North Korea.

Read More>>