South Korea, Japan and US begin Freedom Edge exercises

By Alimat Aliyeva

South Korea, the United States, and Japan began trilateral Freedom Edge exercises on Wednesday, focusing on operations in cyberspace, air defense, and anti-submarine warfare, Azernews reports.

The exercises are being conducted in line with an agreement reached by the leaders of the three countries during their summit in Camp David, Maryland, in August 2023.

The drills will involve the U.S. aircraft carrier George Washington, destroyers from the South Korean Armed Forces, and ships from the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force.

"The three countries strongly condemned the provocative actions of the DPRK, including the test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile," the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) stated, according to the agency. The South Korean command described the exercises as a demonstration of their "commitment to countering such threats," referring to North Korea's actions.