US, South Korea, Japan Stage Trilateral Anti-Submarine Drills Following North Korean Missile Tests

U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (R) and South Korea's landing platform helicopter (LPH) ship Marado (2nd L) sail during a joint military exercise at an undisclosed location on June 4, 2022. South Korea Defense Ministry via AP

The United States, South Korea, and Japan launched their first trilateral anti-submarine drills in five years on Sept. 30, just a day after North Korea launched its third ballistic missile test this week.

The drills were held in waters off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula, involving the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier, Japan’s Asahi-class destroyer, and South Korea’s Munmu the Great destroyer, among others.