South Korea, the United States and Japan held combined air drills Friday as part of efforts to strengthen their joint response against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, the South's Defense Ministry said.

Axar.az reports according to Korean media, the exercise involved at least one U.S. B-52H bomber as well as the South's KF-16 and Japan's F-2 fighters, according to the ministry.

It marked the bomber's first deployment to the Korean Peninsula this year.

"Based on close coordination, the three countries will cooperate to jointly deter and respond to North Korea's threats while continuing with three-way training," it said in a release.