The United States and South Korea conducted joint air drills Tuesday involving American nuclear-capable B-52 strategic bombers and F-22 stealth fighters in a show of strength after some saber-rattling by North Korea.

The drills, which also included South Korean F-35A stealth and F-15K fighter jets, occurred southwest Jeju Island and two days after North Korea reportedly fired two ballistic missiles into the water off its east coast.

"The deployment of the B-52H and F-22 fighters this time is part of an effort to reinforce the credibility of the U.S.'s extended deterrence," the South Korean Defense Ministry said in a news release, according to The Korea Times.

Extended deterrence refers to the U.S.'s commitment to using all of its military capabilities, including nuclear, to defend South Korea.

“We conduct a variety of exercises with our South Korean counterparts on a variety of capabilities, all designed to ensure interoperability and also to, again, signal to our partners in the region that we are a reliable ally, but also to potential aggressors in the region that we do maintain the capabilities to deter, and if necessary, respond,” Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said Tuesday in a press briefing.

The F-22 stealth fighters arrived from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, and will stay in the region for further drills with South Korea this week. It is the first time since 2018 the jets have participated in drills with South Korea.

The South Korean military described Sunday's missile launch by the North as that of medium-range ballistic missiles, The Korea Times reported. But the North claimed the launch was part of a reconnaissance satellite development effort.

U.S. and South Korean defense officials agreed last month to reinforce Washington’s security commitment to Seoul by increasing joint military drills and providing a regular presence of U.S. strategic assets, such as long-range bombers and aircraft carriers.

"For nearly seven decades, this alliance has been an anchor of peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and across the broader Indo-Pacific," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said last month in a meeting with South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup in Washington. "And today, [South Korea] is a tremendously capable ally and a provider of security in the region and a defender of the rules-based international order that keeps us all secure."

South Korea’s defense ministry mentioned that agreement Tuesday, according to The Korea Times, noting the allies will “continue to strengthen the combined defense posture” of the South Korea-U.S. alliance in response to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats.

• North Korea Says Rocket Launch Was Test of 1st Spy Satellite
• North Korea Threatens Strong Military Steps against Japan