- WIADOMOŚCI
US, South Korea and Japan launch Freedom Edge exercises
Photo. @USForcesJapan / X.com
The Freedom Edge military exercises have commenced involving South Korea, the United States, and Japan. The manoeuvres will last five days off the coast of the Korean island of Jeju.
“The three nations will use these manoeuvres to increase operational capabilities and joint response in multiple domains, including at sea, in the air, and in cyberspace,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Republic of Korea (JCS) announced in a statement.
The training is intended to “strengthen deterrence and response capabilities to North Korean nuclear and missile threats.”
A separate statement was released by United States Forces Japan (USFJ). It highlighted the commitment of the nations participating in the manoeuvres to the defence of their peoples and the security of a free and open Indo-Pacific.
The Korean command did not list the specific forces involved in the exercises. However, the South Korean news agency Yonhap reported that the manoeuvres will include, among others, Aegis-equipped destroyers. Unofficial reports also suggest that no United States aircraft carrier will participate in this year’s edition due to the ongoing armed conflict in the Middle East.
Pyongyang reacted to the exercises. The North Korean capital described the manoeuvres as a threat and part of Washington’s “unchanging, hostile policy”. The country’s foreign ministry reportedly announced the “sharpest response”.
The manoeuvres are proceeding as planned, despite an announcement in August by US President Donald Trump regarding the reduction of joint American and South Korean military exercises. According to President Trump, the reasons for the restrictions were his very good relations with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and a refusal by Seoul to engage in the Middle East war.
