United States South Korea military exercises after launch ICBM North Korea 10707171

Defense & Security News - U.S. / South Korea
 
U.S. and South Korea conduct military exercices after the launch of ICBM missile by North Korea.
On July 5, 2017, U.S. and South Korean military forces conducted an exercise during the early morning, South Korea Time, in response to North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile launch, has announced the Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis.
     
On July 5, 2017, U.S. and South Korean military forces conducted an exercise during the early morning, South Korea Time, in response to North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile launch, has announced the Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis.
An M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System assigned to the 1st Battalion, 18th Field Artillery Regiment, 210th Field Artillery Brigade, 2nd Republic of Korea/United States Combined Division, fires an MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile into the East Sea off South Korea, July 5, 2017.

     
Davis said the United States continues to monitor and assess North Korea's actions in close coordination with regional allies and partners.

The United States detected the ICBM and tracked it for 37 minutes, the longest time of flight for any ballistic missile North Korea has launched to date, he said.

The ICBM launched from North Korea's Banghyon Airfield, which is about 62 miles from Pyongyang, Davis said. The North Korean missile landed in the Sea of Japan, he added.

The exercise utilized American M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System firing MGM-140 missile and South Korean Hyunmoo II missiles. U.S. and South Korean personnel fired missiles into territorial waters along South Korea's east coast, Davis said.

"This is a system that can be rapidly deployed and engaged; [it] provides deep-strike precision capability and enables the [South] Korea-U.S. alliance to engage a full array of time-critical targets under all weather conditions," he said.

The combined exercise between the two nations followed the "destabilizing and unlawful actions" of North Korea's launch, Davis noted, adding that it was the first ICBM that nation has launched.