US, SOUTH KOREA, JAPAN START MISSILE-TRACKING DRILL

SEOUL - he US, South Korea and Japan started joint exercises yesterday to track missiles from North Korea, Seoul’s military said, following the nuclear-armed Pyongyang’s longest-range test launch to date.

The trilateral drill comes less than two weeks after Pyongyang test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and declared it had achieved nuclear statehood, escalating global alarm over its weapons push.

The two-day exercise – the sixth since June 2016 – kicked off in waters near the Korean peninsula and Japan, Seoul’s defence ministry said.

“During the drill, Aegis warships from each country will simulate detecting and tracking down potential ballistic missiles from the North and sharing information,” it said in a statement.

Two US ships are taking part, with one each from the two Asian countries. South Korea, Japan and the US on Tuesday began a joint missile warning exercise,

which would help bolster their ability to track and detect missiles

Both South Korea and Japan air drill last week in a show of flashpoint peninsula after the have security alliances with the force against Pyongyang, which November 29 launch of the US, although their own relationship is subject to multiple sets of UN Hwasong-15 ICBM, which the is marred by disputes sanctions over its ballistic missile North claimed could deliver a over history and territory. and nuclear weapons programmes. “super-large heavy warhead”

Washington and Seoul anywhere on the US mainland. staged their biggest-ever joint Tension flared anew in the