S. Korea, U.S. hold joint air drills with key U.S. gunship

South Korea and the United States staged a combined air exercise this week, the Air Force said Thursday, in a move to strengthen readiness against North Korean threats amid growing concerns over deepening military ties between North Korea and Russia. The four-day exercise across various locations in South Korea ended earlier in the day, featuring the heavily armed U.S. AC-130J aircraft and various South Korean fighter jets, including F-15Ks and KF-16s, according to the Air Force. The two sides trained for missions providing close air support to ground troops, while the U.S. gunship also held live-fire drills with the South's KF-16s over the Yellow Sea on Thursday, it said. The AC-130J, which is equipped with 30mm and 105mm cannons, is a key U.S. military asset primarily tasked with close air support and armed reconnaissance missions. The aircraft was last deployed to South Korea in March last year. The Air Force said the latest drills focused on strengthening the allies' combined defense posture, and impl ement the U.S. extended deterrence commitment to using the full-range of its military capabilities to defend an ally. "South Korea and the United States will conduct not only regular exercises but also various other combined air exercises frequently to implement the alliance's powerful strength to achieve any operational objective," it said. The allies' drills took place amid growing concerns over deepening military ties between North Korea and Russia. On Wednesday, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty calling for mutual assistance if either is attacked as they held summit talks in Pyongyang. Source: Yonhap News Agency