SEOUL — South Korea and the U.S. on May 7 launched a major joint air exercise to deter North Korean provocations amid high cross-border tensions, officials said.
The annual drill, called "Max Thunder," will run through May 18 and this year involves about 60 planes, including jet fighters, KC-135 refueling aircraft and Airborne Warning and Control System surveillance planes, the South's air force said in a statement.
The allies will display their readiness and joint air firepower in war situations, it said, adding U.S. and South Korean pilots would train for "precision strikes on the origin of provocations by the enemy."
"This year's drill is the biggest of its kind since Max Thunder began in 2008," an air force spokesman told AFP.
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