US and Japanese warplanes in show of strength following North Korean missile launches
ABCUS jet fighters have joined Japanese warplanes in a show of strength, a day after North Korea launched ballistic missiles into the waters separating it with Japan. Key points: The joint exercise was meant to show Japanese and US resolve in the wake of North Korean provaction Three North Korean missiles were fired in the wake of the Quad summit Russian and Chinese warplanes neared Japanese airspace in a joint exercise on Tuesday The exercise was meant to "showcase combined capabilities to deter and counter regional threats", the US military said in a statement. Japan and the United States wanted to show their combined resolve in the wake of North Korea's latest missile launches, two US officials told Reuters anonymously. One of the North Korean missiles appeared to be the country's largest intercontinental ballistic missile, according to South Korean officials.