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| An F-22 Raptor stealth fighter lands at a military base in Gwangju, Wednesday, amid Max Thunder, a joint military drill between the Air Forces of South Korea and the U.S. / Yonhap |
By Kim Rahn
Max Thunder, which North Korea claims is the cause of its decision to cancel high-level talks with the South, is a joint military drill between the Air Forces of South Korea and the United States.
It has been held every May since 2009, with this year's drill starting May 11 and continuing for two weeks.
The drills include annual defensive exercises with mock combat, and the number of fighter jets and troops this year is similar to those in years past, with some 100 aircraft from both countries participating, according to the Korean Air Force.
This year, eight of the U.S.'s F-22 Raptor stealth fighters were deployed for the drills for the first time. It is said the Raptor fighters can penetrate North Korea's radar fence and make surgical strikes against strategic facilities.
But unlike the initial plan, B-52 strategic bombers, one of the U.S.'s strategic assets, will not be deployed, amid ongoing talks about North Korea's denuclearization. Pyongyang has been sensitive about the bomber which can carry nuclear weapons.
"F-22s were deployed in last year's Vigilant ACE drill as well," an Air Force official said. "The types of fighters participating in the exercises are different each year."
After North Korea cited the regular drills as the cause of its cancellation of the high-level inter-Korean meeting, South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo and U.S. Forces Korea Commander Vincent Brooks had an emergency meeting in which they decided to carry out the exercises as planned.
"The exercises will be conducted as planned, and there is no different opinion about this between the allies," the Ministry of Defense said in a notice to reporters. "Max Thunder is a training drill to improve pilots' skills. It is not an offensive drill."
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