(VOVworld)- The Republic of Korea and US air-forces are conducting a joint drill, Max Thunder, to strengthen their defense capacities against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

F22 Raptor of the US Air force

The two-week drill which began on April 15 involves more than 100 aircraft, 100 American troops and 600 South Koreans. The move comes amid speculation about Pyongyang’s 5^th nuclear tests and long range missile firing ahead of the Congress of the North’s Workers’ Party due in early May. The US said Max Thunder was a regular drill and irrelevant to the current situation on the Korean peninsula.