SEOUL, July 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States plan to conduct live-fire anti-submarine exercises in the East Sea Tuesday during the third day of joint military drills meant to deter North Korea against future provocations, military officials said.About 20 warships, led by the U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington, 200 aircraft and 8,000 military personnel have staged the "Invincible Spirit" exercises in the East Sea since Sunday to signal a warning to the North for its sinking of a South Korean warship in March.
Anti-submarine drills are a key part of the four-day naval and air maneuvers, as an international investigation concluded in May that the North is responsible for the torpedo attack that sank the warship Cheonan in March.
The allies plan to fire naval guns and artillery at an abandoned submarine disguised as a North Korean submarine, military officials said.
Tuesday's exercises also included a counter special forces maneuver aimed at better detecting and attacking the North's special forces, according to the officials. A squadron of fighter jets will fire live rounds at a simulated target at an air force shooting range in the eastern coastal city of Gangneung, about 237 kilometers east of Seoul.
Officials said the naval drills are being conducted in international waters far off Ulleung Island, about 120 km east of the Korean Peninsula and far south of the North's waters.
North Korea, which denies responsibility for the attack on the Cheonan, has threatened to "start a retaliatory sacred war" to counter the drills with its "powerful nuclear deterrence." South Korea's military said it has observed no unusual moves by the North's military.
U.S. military officials made clear that the drills aren't aimed at overtly provoking the North, but convincing the communist regime that any future provocations will not be tolerated.
"Our message is that we are here to deter aggression should North Korea determine that they want to continue down this path," said Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Remington, commander of the U.S. 7th Air Force involved in the four-day drills. "We do not intend to have an offensive message. This is a defensive message."