South Korea, the United States and Japan will hold a joint naval missile defense exercise today as they step up security cooperation to better counter North Korean missile threats, the Seoul Navy said.

The announcement comes days after the three countries agreed in tripartite talks in Washington to hold regular missile defense and anti-submarine warfare exercises as part of efforts to strengthen cooperation at the diplomatic and military levels.

South Korean destroyer Yulgok Yi I, American destroyer USS Benfold and Japanese Atago equipped with Aegis systems will take part in today’s exercises in international waters between Korea and Japan.

The North Korean Navy explained that the three countries will focus on improving response procedures, from detection to tracking and information sharing, against a virtual target based on a North Korean ballistic missile call scenario.

“This is an opportunity to strengthen trilateral security cooperation against the escalation of nuclear and missile threats from North Korea, as well as to strengthen the ability and readiness of our navy to respond to ballistic missiles,” South Korean destroyer captain Kim Ki Yong said in a statement.

Tensions have been high in recent weeks as North Korea escalated hostilities, testing Friday a new solid-fueled ICBM that experts say will make it easier to launch missiles with little to no warning.

Source: Reuters, APE-MPE.