The US and South Korean militaries launched a joint military exercise on Monday, March 13, as North Korea announced that it had begun testing submarine-launched missiles, protesting the US and South Korea drills which it views as a rehearsal for a potential invasion.
North Korea launched missiles from a submarine on Sunday, March 12, which signals that the country would also be conducting its own testing during the joint US and South Korea drills, which will run for 11 days.
The US-South Korea exercises will include computer simulations of Freedom Shield 23 and Warrior Shield FTX joint field exercises.
The computer simulation is supposed to strengthen South Korea’s defenses and response capabilities as North Korea increasingly makes nuclear threats against them.
The US military released a statement about the joint exercises saying they were meant to enhance the two countries’ cooperation through space, air, sea, land, special operations, and cyber. The drills should also improve military tactics, procedures, and techniques.
North Korea said it had launched two cruise missiles from a submarine on Sunday to show its commitment to respond with overwhelming force to the military maneuvers by the US and their South Korean puppet forces.
North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency said that the missiles launched were strategic, and their launches showed the North’s “nuclear war deterrence.” This would imply that the North has plans to arm the cruise missiles with nuclear weapons.
The cruise missiles reportedly flew for over two hours, demonstrating abilities to hit targets over 900 miles away.
North Korea’s submarine-launched missile systems would make it harder for targets to detect missile launches and provide the country with capabilities for retaliatory attacks.
Sunday’s cruise missiles were the first by the North to be launched from a submarine. All previous submarine tests have involved ballistic missiles.
