Japan, U.S., S. Korea Conduct Missile Defense Drill

Tokyo, Oct. 6 (Jiji Press)--Japan, the United States and South Korea carried out a joint exercise in the Sea of Japan on Thursday to detect, track and intercept ballistic missiles, in response to a recent series of ballistic missile launches by North Korea.

The drill was joined by an Aegis destroyer belonging to a U.S. carrier strike group led by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, as well as the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force's Aegis ship Ashigara.

The exercise was designed to confirm ways to share information about targets captured by antimissile radar systems.

The U.S. carrier strike group returned to the Sea of Japan following Tuesday's missile launch by North Korea. It had been on the way to its next mission after participating in U.S.-South Korea and Japan-U.S.-South Korea joint drills late last momth.

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