On the afternoon of October 31st, the South Korean Defense Ministry announced that in response to North Korea’s launch of a long-range ballistic missile on the same day, the air forces of South Korea and the United States conducted a large-scale joint aerial drill on the 31st.

During the drill, the two sides deployed over 110 manned and unmanned aircraft, including South Korean Air Force F-35A, F-15K, and KF-16 fighter jets equipped with precision-guided weapons, as well as U.S. Air Force and Marine Corps F-35B, F-16 fighter jets, and MQ-9 drones.

The joint forces formed a large-scale attack formation over the western waters of the Korean Peninsula and the central inland airspace, conducting diverse tactical flights and precision bombing drills.

On October 31st, local time, North Korea announced that it had conducted an intercontinental ballistic missile test on the same day.