US, Japan and South Korea hold anti-missile drill amid North Korea threats

The US, Japan and South Korea are holding a two-day anti-missile exercise from Tuesday, 24 October amid threats from North Korea. Naval forces of the three countries are leading the drill and ships will detect and track computer-simulated ballistic missiles.

Tensions have been escalating in the Korean peninsula owing to repeated threats and provocations by Pyongyang in recent weeks. The Kim Jong-un regime and the US have also been engaged in a bitter war of words.

"The latest exercise is designed to prepare against growing nuclear and missile threats by North Korea in accordance with the agreement made during the 48th Security Consultative Meeting between South Korea and the US in October 2016," said South Korea's Joint Chief of Staff (JCS), according to the Yonhap news agency.

Four ships equipped with Aegis Combat System will take part in the trilateral maritime manoeuvres in waters off South Korea and Japan. No actual missiles will be fired from any of the vessels during the exercise. "The latest exercise is designed to prepare against growing nuclear and missile threats by North Korea," added the JCS.

The three countries started this kind of computer-simulated drills in June 2016 and they have so far conducted four such exercises. The drills were the result of an agreement reached at a Security Consultative Meeting between South Korea and the US in 2016.