US deploys B-1B bombers for separate drills with South Korea, Japan

FILE PHOTO: US Air Force B-1B bombers, F-16 fighter jets and South Korean Air Force F-35A take part in a joint air drill, South Korea, March 19, 2023. South Korean Defence Ministry/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY./File Photo

SEOUL (Reuters) -The United States separately deployed B-1B bombers for joint drills with South Korea and Japan on Wednesday, as the three allies have stepped up responses to threats from North Korea.

A U.S. B-1B flew alongside South Korean FA-50 jets and U.S. Air Force F-16 fighters as part of ongoing Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, South Korea's defence ministry said. It marked the 10th such flight by an American bomber this year.