Seoul, July 28 (Saba) - South Korean and the United States forces continued anti-submarine and air readiness exercises Wednesday as they prepared to wrap up their joint drills intended to deter North Korea from future aggression, military officials said. "The joint drills are due to end as of 5 p.m. today," a South's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, according to Qatar News Agency (QNA).

On the final day of the drills, ships from both countries continued mock attacks on an abandoned submarine, according to the JCS official. Wednesday's exercises also include simulated attacks on North Korean semi-submersible boats carrying infiltrating Special Forces and missile fire from fighter jets directed toward Air Force firing ranges on land near the east coast, South Korea's news agency (Yonhap) reported.

This week's exercises are the first in a series of joint drills by South Korea and the US over the coming months.

The large-scale drills involved dozens of ships, including the 97,000-ton USS George Washington plus some 200 aircraft with thousands of personnel from both sides. They started Sunday in waters 200 kilometers or so south of the maritime boundary with North Korea.

The drills were launched to send a signal that South Korea and the US are serious about the North's provocations after a multinational investigation accused Pyongyang of firing a torpedo in March to sink the Cheonan corvette, killing 46 sailors.

The deployment of the George Washington, one of most powerful symbols of US military power, highlighted strong commitment by the US in defense of South Korea.
Four F-22 Raptor stealth fighters, which can strike the North's nuclear facility site at Yongbyon within 30 minutes after takeoff, flew training missions for the first time around Korea.

Anti-submarine warfare operations have been a key part of the joint drills to prevent further attacks like the sinking of the Cheonan.

Saba