--- description: South Korea and the U.S. launched large-scale joint aerial war drills, a week after North Korea tested its most advanced missile. title: The U.S. and South Korea Begin Huge War Drills image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt13cc63806c4d91ea/6988f383bc6cfc214f3e42ba/gettyimages-510748652.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [South Korea](/tag/south-korea/) ## South Korea Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # The U.S. and South Korea Kick Off a Large-Scale Military Drills Amid Threats From North Korea by [Christine Kim / Reuters](/author/reuters/) ## Christine Kim / Reuters Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Updated: Dec 12, 2023 11:53 PM CUTPublished: Dec 4, 2017 3:00 AM CUT  US F-22 stealth fighters fly over Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, South Korea on Feb. 17, 2016. US F-22 stealth fighters fly over Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, South Korea on Feb. 17, 2016.Jung Yeon-Je—AFP/Getty Images by [Christine Kim / Reuters](/author/reuters/) ## Christine Kim / Reuters Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Updated: Dec 12, 2023 11:53 PM CUTPublished: Dec 4, 2017 3:00 AM CUT (SEOUL) – South Korea and the United States launched large-scale joint aerial drills on Monday, officials said, a week after North Korea said it had [tested its most advanced missile](http://time.com/5044526/north-korea-missile-could-reach-washington/ "undefined") as part of a weapons program that has raised global tensions. The annual U.S.-South Korean drill, called Vigilant Ace, will run until Friday, with six F-22 Raptor stealth fighters to be deployed among the more than 230 aircraft taking part. The exercises have been condemned as a provocation by the isolated North. F-35 fighters will also join the drill, which will also include the largest number of 5th generation fighters to take part, according to a South Korea-based U.S. Air Force spokesman. Around 12,000 U.S. service members, including from the Marines and Navy, will join South Korean troops. Aircraft taking part will be flown from eight U.S. and South Korean military installations. South Korean media reports said B-1B Lancer bombers could join the exercise this week. The U.S. Air Force spokesman could not confirm the reports. The joint exercise is designed to enhance readiness and operational capability and to ensure peace and security on the Korean peninsula, the U.S. military had said before the drills began. The drills come a week after North Korea said it had [tested its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile](http://time.com/5040388/north-korea-icbm-missile-launch-mainland-us/ "undefined") ever in defiance of international sanctions and condemnation. Pyongyang blamed U.S. President Donald Trump for raising tensions and warned at the weekend the Vigilant Ace exercise was pushing tensions on the Korean peninsula towards “a flare-up”, according to North Korean state media. North Korea’s Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country called Trump “insane” on Sunday and said the drill would “push the already acute situation on the Korean peninsula to the brink of nuclear war”. The North’s KCNA state news agency, citing a foreign ministry spokesman, also said on Saturday the Trump administration was [“begging for nuclear war](http://time.com/5046539/trump-begging-for-nuclear-war/ "undefined") by staging an extremely dangerous nuclear gamble on the Korean peninsula”. North Korea regularly uses its state media to threaten the United States and its allies. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5047204/south-korea-united-states-military-exercise-drill-air-force/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5047204/south-korea-united-states-military-exercise-drill-air-force/"},"headline":"The U.S. and South Korea Kick Off a Large-Scale Military Drills Amid Threats From North Korea","datePublished":"2017-12-04T03:00:17.000Z","dateModified":"2023-12-12T23:53:29.000Z","description":"North Korea says the drills will \"push the already acute situation on the Korean peninsula to the brink of nuclear war\"","url":"https://time.com/5047204/south-korea-united-states-military-exercise-drill-air-force/","keywords":["South Korea","North Korea","Kim Jong Un","Donald Trump","onetime","overnight"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt13cc63806c4d91ea/6988f383bc6cfc214f3e42ba/gettyimages-510748652.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Christine Kim / Reuters"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt13cc63806c4d91ea/6988f383bc6cfc214f3e42ba/gettyimages-510748652.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"SKOREA-NKOREA-US-MILITARY-NUCLEAR","caption":"SKOREA-NKOREA-US-MILITARY-NUCLEAR","creditText":"Jung Yeon-Je—AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/south-korea/","name":"South Korea"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5047204/south-korea-united-states-military-exercise-drill-air-force/","name":"The U.S. and South Korea Kick Off a Large-Scale Military Drills Amid Threats From North Korea"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"North Korea Launched Its First Ballistic Missile in Months","description":"North Korea abruptly ended a 10-week pause in its weapons testing Tuesday by launching what the Pentagon believes was an intercontinental ballistic missile, a move that will escalate already high tensions with Washington.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/EOKOXsg8/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2017-11-29T02:39:54.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/EOKOXsg8.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/5047204/south-korea-united-states-military-exercise-drill-air-force/","duration":"PT2M42S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/5047204/south-korea-united-states-military-exercise-drill-air-force/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```