South Korea and the United States conducted the year's first combined exercises near the inter-Korean border.

According to the Army on Thursday, South Korea's Capital Mechanized Infantry Division and the U.S. Stryker Brigade Combat Team from the 2nd Infantry Division have been carrying out a weeklong joint live-fire exercise in the border city of Pocheon since last Friday.

The latest drills have been designed to verify mutual operability of the allies' maneuver, firepower and command control assets under a grave security environment, as well to further reinforce their operation capabilities against North Korea's military threats.

The exercise involved some 110 weapons systems from South Korea and the U.S, including K1A2 tanks, A-10 combat aircraft, Stryker armored vehicles and artillery systems.

The U.S. Air Force also conducted a reconnaissance flight involving the RC-135V Rivet Joint aircraft over the Korean Peninsula early Thursday. The plane is capable of detecting missile launch preparation signals from hundreds of kilometers away.