US aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan is escorted into port in Busan, Republic of Korea on Sept 23, 2022. (LEE JIN-MAN / AP)
SEOUL – The Republic of Korea and the United States on Monday launched their joint maritime drills near the Korean Peninsula, involving a US aircraft carrier and over 20 warships from the two sides.
The Republic of Korea's defense ministry said the combined naval exercise was scheduled to continue for four days from Monday in the country's eastern waters
The ROK's defense ministry said the combined naval exercise was scheduled to continue for four days from Monday in the country's eastern waters.
Mobilized for the exercise will be more than 20 battleships, including a 7,600-ton Aegis destroyer and a 4,400-ton destroyer from the ROK side as well as the USS Ronald Reagan carrier strike group that arrived in the ROK's southeastern port city of Busan on Friday.
The strike group consists of the Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the USS Chancellorsville guided-missile cruiser, the USS Barry Arleigh Burke-class destroyer and the USS Benfold guided-missile destroyer.
The nuclear-powered USS Annapolis submarine would reportedly join the naval exercise.
ALSO READ: ROK's general commands joint drills with US troops
It marked the first time in about five years that a US aircraft carrier visited the ROK for joint military exercises.
A variety of aircraft and choppers will join the naval drills, including F/A-18E Super Hornets, P-3 and P-8 maritime surveillance aircraft, AW-159 and MH-60R helicopters, F-15K and KF-16 fighter jets and AH-64E Apache helicopters.
The combined naval forces of the two countries will stage various drills on anti-ship and anti-submarine operations, tactical maneuvers and other maritime operations.
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea has denounced the joint exercise as a rehearsal for a northward invasion.
The DPRK fired a short-range ballistic missile into its eastern waters Sunday, according to the ROK's Joint Chiefs of Staff.
READ MORE: US aircraft carrier to visit ROK for combined drills